Transplant team drops heart on way to hospital (VIDEO)

AP

(CBS) In urgent medical situations, there's always a risk that frenzied professionals may drop the ball. When rushing to a Mexico City hospital for a transplant, some medics did just that - by dropping a human heart.

For the life-saving operation, a helicopter was used to deliver the heart in "a rapid, precision maneuver," Mexico City police told the Associated Press.

But after exiting the chopper, a medic stumbled, and the plastic-wrapped heart tumbled out of a cooler and onto the street.

The medic immediately returned the heart to the cooler and brought it to the hospital where the recipient was waiting. Doctors proceeded with the surgery, which was reportedly a success. The patient is responding well to the new heart, although doctors said they must wait 72 hours to be sure.

Did the drop affect the heart? The doctor in charge of the operation was not too concerned, The Telegraph reports. "It was a trip on one of the potholes on the road. Its arrival was a bit scary but fortunately it all went well. Because we had the heart perfectly protected as it was packed in three layers," he said.

Dr. Stephen Bartlett, chairman of surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, told ABC News it's unlikely the drop had any significant impact beyond embarrassing the medics because of the multiple sterile layers around the organ and close proximity to the hospital.

Reporters were around after the helicopter landed to document the delivery, resulting the a video of the mishap (below).

"No harm done, but this will stay on Youtube for a while," Bartlett said.

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[rwsmith29456]

If I were on the table I would have said, "Hey, that heart has been dropped. I refuse to accept it."

[randomites]

If you were lying on the surgery table anesthetized you wouldn't be able to say anything more cogent than "numm numm numm numm numm..."

[randomites]

The guy doing the voice over sounds like he needs a testicle transplant.

[pwgrant]

Lying, slanderous, unprofessional headline. Furthermore, even the clip called them bumbling.

Shame on CBS and shame on the reporter. What have YOU done lately that as SAVED someones LIFE?!

These things are bound to happen. This is a "process" problem.
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"after exiting the chopper, a medic stumbled, and the plastic-wrapped heart tumbled out of a cooler and onto the street."

[shawnfestivus]

Now do you understand why Mexicans want to cross the border?

[Freedomisgood]

This incident reminds me of this scene from Rat Race!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zj2tuynrQ00

[btrax]

Everything worked out fine yet you haters choose to hate on the transporters...like there's a handbook of logistics regarding this. Yea right like anyone is gonna stop and toggle the video to show someone made a mistake. Fekkin' haters will stop at nothing online to show how superior they think they are (all from behind their computer. Lighten up.

-Don't Go Draggin' My Heart Around-Tom Petty
-The Heart's Filthy Lesson - David Bowie
-The Last Unbroken Heart - Patti Labelle
-Fragile Heart - Westlife
-Achy Breaky Heart - Billy Ray Cyrus.
-My Heart will Go on - Celine Dion
-Break Your Heart - Barenaked Ladies
-My Heart Has A Mind Of Its Own - Connie Francis

I know more but someone else can have a shot!

[kayers43yahoocom]

one of our surgeons always accompanied the organs. not necessarily a transplant one but a top surgeon nonetheless. this should never have happened....one more worry for the recipient and the family and one more negative for the donor's family and doctors. very glad all is well and things are working out for the best. what to do....got lemons, make lemonade!

[Jaylah54]

Did this really happen, or was it just a slow news day so CBS decided to go out and video a couple of klutzes trying to roll a cooler after getting the idea from an old episode of Grey's Anatomy?

[themanfrombrum]

Don't go breaking my heart!

[venusvegasvada]

I'm sure the recipient was happy to have it.

I wonder how many more hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars it would have cost for the same procedure here in the land of the 140 million dollar CEO?