Fort Myers doctor's license restricted from using stem cells

[barbara]

News-Press.com
Denes Husty III
March 20, 2012

A local doctor contends he was acting out of compassion when he agreed to help during an alleged stem-cell procedure earlier this month that is under investigation after a patient died.

An emergency order was issued Monday that forbids Dr. Konstantine K. Yankopolus, who has a family practice in Fort Myers, from having anything to do with stem cells.

The order came from the interim state surgeon general, Dr. Steven L. Harris.

This follows the March 2 suspension of the license of Dr. Zannos Grekos, who practices in Bonita Springs, after the death of a patient, Richard Poling, 77, of Indiana.

Yankopolus is accused of assisting Grekos in Poling’s treatment.

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office launched a homicide investigation when Poling died after the procedure in Grekos’ office. No charges have been filed.

“I acted as a humanitarian pure and simple,” Yankopolus said. “We feel horribly that this happened. We acted out of compassion. I did not receive any compensation.”

The events started the morning of March 2 in Grekos’ office on Bonita Beach Road.

Yankopolus, the order states, knew Grekos was restricted from providing stem-cell treatment. This restriction was ordered Feb. 23, 2011, after the death of another patient.

Nevertheless, Yankopolus “agreed in performing a stem cell treatment … in the treatment of patient R.P. for pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary fibrosis,” the order states.

Grekos harvested adipose tissue containing stem cells from the patient’s abdomen. The tissue was then sent to a lab to have the stem cells concentrated and returned to Grekos’ office by that afternoon.

“Dr. Grekos then directed Dr. Yankopolus to infuse patient R.P. with a concentrated stem-cell preparation into R.P.’s blood stream,” the document states.

The patient then began experiencing problems and was later pronounced dead.

Before the patient’s death, Yankopolus entered a false note into the patient’s chart indicating no stem-cell preparation was infused, the order states.

Then on March 11, Yankopolus prepared an addendum to the chart “indicating that the stem-cell preparation was in fact infused, leading to R.P.’s immediate arrest and death,” according to the findings supporting order.

“It was a mistake. We corrected it,” said Yankopolus of the two notes.

Grekos has denied wrongdoing.

“Dr. Grekos did not perform a stem-cell treatment on patient R.P. Patient R.P. did have a liposuction procedure performed,” according to the statement issued last week by attorney Richard Ozelie.

A report given to the sheriff’s office and local medical examiner’s office “specifically states that there was no infusion of stem cells into said patient,” the statement asserts.

The respective orders restricting Yankopolus’ license and suspending Grekos’ license states the actions were necessary because the physicians presented “an immediate serious danger to the health, safety and welfare of the public.”

Such claims are unjustified, Yankopolus asserts.

“These are minimally invasive procedures. This is like giving a shot. It’s not a big deal. They act like I’m performing cardiac surgery,” Yankopolus said.

Further, “we took the proper, safe steps. We were offering him a last opportunity. Everybody had done well with this procedure. There are miracles taking place,” the doctor said.

Grekos, said Yankopolus, “is a pioneer. This is the next frontier of medicine.”

[LLL6521]

What do you expect? The FDA had ordered at several occasions to raid health food stores that sold raw milk (unpasteurized). At some occasions it was done at gun-point by local police during their search and seizure, and all of it, ordered by the FDA to protect the public’s best interest. In one raid, the store’s hidden camera caught the police raiding the store with their guns drawn out yelling at everyone to hit the deck. The raid looked like a dangerous drug raid. This is just an example of how the FDA vehemently chases anyone that challenges their authority.

Then there are those that step it up and say enough is enough! They are true heroes. Reading more about these doctors, I was off the mark on my last assessment of them. They did what their instincts as doctors compelled them to do and that is help out the patient or save her, and they are guilty of their duty as doctors and compassion.