A Birmingham surgeon has been suspended after being accused of branding his initials on a patient's liver.
Sky News reported that the letters were found by a medical colleague doing routine surgery on the patient.
The University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust confirmed it was aware of the allegations, and has suspended a surgeon while a misconduct investigation is carried out.
The surgeon in question is believed to have many years experience, and to have worked at Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
Sky News said the branding was allegedly done using a beam of argon gas - for sealing vessels. No harm is believed to have come to the patient.
There are fears that other patients at the hospital, particularly transplant patients, could have had the same done to them.