I blogged about this story when it first came up back in August.  I knew it was going to be bad news, and sure enough, it is.  Now the surgeon is facing criminal charges – three felony counts, at that.  Dependent adult abuse, administering a harmful substance, and unlawful controlled substance prescription are the criminal counts, and on top of that there’s the wrongful death suit from the mother.  While it seems pretty apparent that this surgeon crossed over some ethical boundaries, the weight of the criminal charges seems a little hefty to me.  I wish I knew more of the facts of the case.  Don’t get me wrong – the surgeon committed some rather egregious errors and should be firmly sanctioned for them, but I don’t think his overzealousness to help someone else should land him in prison.  Of course, the damage to the transplant community has been done and will likely only spread over the next couple years as this case plays out.  That is probably the biggest loss of all.