THE DEATH OF HANK GATHERS : Doctor Released Gathers to Play : Loyola Marymount: School says defibrillator was purchased as a precaution, not a prerequisite.

Dr. Michael Mellman signed a release to allow Hank Gathers to play basketball shortly before he returned to the Loyola Marymount team in late December, according to Loyola Athletic Director Brian Quinn. The release was signed upon the opinion of cardiologist Dr. Vernon Hattori and Dr. Charles Swerdlow, an electro-physiologist who works with Hattori.

Gathers, whose condition was diagnosed as a cardiac arrhythmia, died Sunday night after collapsing near midcourt during a West Coast Conference tournament game at Loyola. He died 1 hour 40 minutes later at Daniel Freeman Marina Hospital.

“We (Hattori and Swerdlow) delivered an opinion to Dr. Mellman, who signed the release for Gathers to play,” Hattori said.

Still, many questions remain about what happened to Gathers, and officials at Loyola and doctors connected to Gathers seemed reluctant to talk. A press release, issued through Daniel Freeman Memorial Hospital, cited a confidentiality that cannot be breached until the Gathers family gives approval.

However, Hattori and Mellman have been unsuccessful in talking to the family.

“We attempted to arrange a meeting with them, but they did not wish to meet,” Hattori said Wednesday. Hattori did not explain why the family, staying in a Los Angeles hotel, refused the request.

Mellman said he had nothing to add to the press release but said: “At some point in time it will all come out, but I can’t make any statements or comments at this time.”

On Monday, Mellman told The Times that there was a multitude of medical opinions about whether Gathers was able to play, but until an autopsy was completed it was premature to comment.

It is unclear why the statement, written by Mellman and Hattori, was issued by the hospital rather than Loyola. The statement, typed on plain white paper, carried neither the designation of Daniel Freeman Hospital nor Loyola University.

All of this comes in the wake of a story in Wednesday’s Times in which a cardiologist familiar with the case said that Gathers was told not to play and that he failed to show for a treadmill test the week before he died.

“He was told not to play: ‘You’re through as an athlete,’ ” said the cardiologist, who asked not to be identified. “We told Hank that if he wanted to live the best he shouldn’t exercise. Hank Gathers was going to play basketball. It didn’t matter what some doctor told him.

“He was known to have cardiac arrhythmia, no question about it. But it was well treated and well controlled and it had been well tested every time. We don’t know if Hank took his medicine the last week, in fact we’re pretty sure that he didn’t. And we know that he didn’t show up for his testing, which is supposed to be done on a weekly basis. And we know this was the week he was out to show the NBA scouts that he was big stuff.”

Gathers was initially hospitalized by Mellman at Centinela Hospital in Inglewood after he fainted while playing in a basketball game on Dec. 9. After undergoing tests, Mellman referred him to Hattori.

Gathers was seen by Hattori and Swerdlow, on Dec. 14, after which tests revealed a cardiac arrhythmia.

Sources told The Times that Gathers then sought a second opinion on his condition from Dr. William J. Mandel, a cardiologist in Beverly Hills who is affiliated with Cedars Sinai Hospital.

Mandel did not return phone calls on Wednesday.

The press release said that Hattori and Swerdlow continued to treat Gathers until his death. Mellman said Monday he had not seen Gathers since mid-January.

“Efficacy of treatment was closely monitored on a regular basis, and we were in communication with Hank, his trainer (Chip Schaefer) and coach (Paul Westhead) at all times,” the statement said.

Loyola officials would not produce a copy of the release signed by Mellman.

Lanie Bove, the vice president of student affairs at Loyola, is one of the few to admit to have seen the medical release.

“I have seen a copy of the letter from Dr. Mellman to the athletic director,” Bove said. “Essentially it was a release for Hank to return to full participation in intercollegiate athletics.

“My sense of the letter, because I don’t have it in front of me, is that it told us that in the beginning, in the first week to 10 days, that he had to be monitored during practice and that his return was to be a gradual one. He wasn’t told how many minutes to play or anything like that. It wasn’t specific.”

Gathers was averaging about 35 minutes a game before fainting in a game against Santa Barbara. Upon his return, he played fewer minutes against Niagara (24 minutes), Xavier (30), St. Joseph’s (26), La Salle (30) and Santa Clara (27). However, those games were played over a 13-day period. Gathers averaged 26.75 minutes in the first four games after he came back, 29.7 in the 20 games after fainting and 30.2 for season.

Bove authorized the purchase of a defibrillator by the school. A defibrillator is often used by paramedics to shock a failing heart back into a normal rhythm. The machine was kept courtside and taken to away games by Schaefer.

“The defibrillator was not a prerequisite by the doctors for releasing Hank,” Bove said. “It was mentioned. The question was posed, ‘Do we have one?’ We were just taking every precaution by making sure we did.”

When Gathers returned to the team, he was required to wear a halter monitor at certain times in practice. The device is used to monitor the heart rhythm and help doctors determine the amount of medication that is needed.

Teammate Bo Kimble said Gathers appeared secure with his medical situation.

“Hank loved the game of basketball, but if it was a threat to his life he wouldn’t have played. Let me put it this way, if a doctor told me it was 50-50, I wouldn’t play. Hank would. But if he said it was life-threatening, what do you think? The doctor said he wasn’t at risk. (So, Gathers believed) his medication was secure.”

A fund has been established to help the Gathers family. Contributions can be sent to Security Pacific National Bank, P.O. Box 45511, Los Angeles, 90045. The bank is located at 9001 Lincoln Blvd. in Westchester.

Also contributing to this story were Times staff writers Alan Drooz and Danny Robbins.