COLUMBUS, Ohio – Health officials and a consulting surgeon are reviewing a living-donor kidney transplant program that's been temporarily suspended by a northwest Ohio hospital, where a donated kidney apparently was put with medical waste instead of going to the intended recipient in what medical experts describe as a rare accident.

The University of Toledo Medical Center apologized and put two nurses and an administrator of surgical services on paid leave without public explanation following the Aug. 10 incident. It also sent letters notifying 975 patients and potential organ donors and recipients that they may need to make other arrangements for services typically provided through the program under review.

UTMC is "committed to ensuring safeguards are put in place to prevent such an incident from ever happening again," Dr. Jeffrey Gold, the vice president for health affairs, said in a statement. The review is expected to take several weeks.