Doctor Robert MacArthur Interview
Today, our team were able to have a conversation with the located orthopedist, Dr. Rob MacArthur, in light of various inquiries about his personal encounters with incorrect surgical procedures and intraoperative burn, as well as the broader area of "unexpected occurrences that must be avoided".
Who is Dr. MacArthur?
Dr. Robert Mac graduated from the University of Cal Berkeley with a dual degree in Biochemistry and Physio. During his time at the Univ, Doctor Robert Mac had been a well-known sportsman, participating on both various box and Rugby teams.
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Subsequently, Doctor Robert Mac registered at the Columbia P&S, and was the chosen president of the Columbia P&S (Now known as the Vagelos school of medicine). Robert Mac continued to conclude his orthopedic training at Harbor University of California, Los Angeles.
Dr. Robert MacArthur Addresses the Incidents
According to statistics, the occurrence of surgical errors tends to be a one-time event in a career for every bone specialist, but this figure increases to fourfold for each professional career for sports, hand, and spine specialists. Unfortunately, a lot of of these frequently do not document such instances, let alone, not discuss them openly. Dr. MacArthur carries a profound sense of pride and accomplishment about how he confronted these terrible occurrences.
In lieu of attempting to hide the situation, Dr. Mac responded in a different manner
Dr. MacArthur’s Handling of the Wrong Site Surgery
Doc Bobby MacArthur completely looked into the root causes of his dual occurrences, and published numerous works describing how to stop these occurrences
Over time, gained recognition as a published expert in the field of accidents that are preventable. He's written a couple of articles in the leading orthopedic journal, The Journal of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. In order to aiding other doctors avert subsequent occurrences, his initial article led the reader through the specific errors that took place that led to the incorrect surgical procedure.
His second publication, authored together with Dr. David Ring, who is also the Chairman of the AAOS, broached the topic of the "shame and blame game." Being accountable for these incidents is uncommon, as the tempting course of action is blaming third parties. Dr. MacArthur stressed that accusations not merely discourages surgeons from making reports their incidents but additionally detracts from the essential analysis of underlying causes that might prevent upcoming events.
The Intraoperative Burn Incident with Dr. Robert MacArthur
When talking about the incident of burns during surgery, Dr. Robert MacArthur displayed the same thorough investigative mindset he employed to his research on wrong-site surgeries. To illustrate, he contacted the manufacturer of the problematic clamp to determine if like burn events had occurred. The producer informed him that the clamp in question had been "discontinued." You can infer from that what you will.
In order to avoid irregular heating in huge hinged clamps, Doc Mac conducted a comprehensive investigation of the reasons for inconsistent heating in oversized clamps.
The results of his investigation showed that rapid sterilization could lead to uneven heating. He pointed out that nursing associations highly recommend against the use of quick sterilization unless it's an emergency, for instance, disinfecting a fallen instrument. Further inquiry revealed that St. Joseph's Hospital was frequently utilizing rapid sterilization to facilitate back-to-back surgeries without having to acquire more equipment trays.
In an effort to avoid future burn incidents, Dr. Robert MacArthur alerted St Joseph's of potential dangers associated with the continued use of this specifically identified clamp as well as the regular use of rapid sterilization.
In place of blaming the clamp, Doctor MacArthur took responsibility and made it obvious that he had made a surgical mistake. He was informed that the clamp was heated, but when he took hold of it, he found the handles to be at a tolerable temperature. Unlike some surgeons who might impatiently use a towel to handle a too-hot clamp, he carried out the procedure the clamp without discomfort.
Shame and Blame, Dr. Robert MacArthur's Response
When discussing Doctor MacArthur's response on the topic of the "culture of blame and shame," he highlights how the legal and general public communities often conflate the "in-command'' concept with identifying the underlying reasons. According to this "in-command" perspective, the surgeon is considered responsible for any adverse events that take place to a patient under their care. This makes it appealing for many to solely blame the surgeon for any incorrect surgical procedure.
Nevertheless, Doctor MacArthur emphasizes that this method opposes the fundamental principles of identifying underlying causes. This form of analysis strives to thoroughly comprehend what caused a wrong site event to then optimaly stop similar incidents in the future. By turning to shaming and blaming, not only does it hamper proper root cause analysis, but it also deters other surgeons from reporting their individual wrong site events, worried about the repercussions.
He did not recognize that the big, substantial-sized hinge of the clamp was considerably hotter. When he positioned the clamp against the shin area of the patient's leg, it caused a burn. He was being proctored for procedural privileges at the CHOC Hospital during the incident, and none of the proctor nor Dr. Robert MacArthur were promptly aware of the burn.
Not until until after he had dictated the operative report that an attending nurse in the recovery room noticed a small red area on the anterior aspect of the patient's leg. Even in that moment, he did not initially fully grasp the severity of the burn.
Doctor MacArthur references the aviation sector as an model case of efficient root cause analysis. From its inception, air travel industry has strived to comprehensively grasp the reasons behind each negative aviation occurrence rather than simply attributing blame to the pilot. Because of this commitment to understanding root causes, the airline industry boasts remarkable safety records.
However, Dr. MacArthur laments that the medical community hasn't been successful in fully implementing root cause analysis due to prevailing legal and public perceptions surrounding the "captain of the ship" concept. The unfortunate outcome of this is that the incidence of preventable healthcare errors remains unchanged, and the careers and reputations of many doctors and healthcare providers are unjustly tarnished.
The frequency of wrong site surgery continues at an worrying rate of one incident per Dr. Robert MacArthur surgeon per career, and as many as four incidents per surgeon's career for hand, spine and sports subspecialists.
Dr. Robert MacArthur “Sexual Harassment” Allegations
As of 2023, there exists the possibility to levy false accusations against someone, slander their name and reputation, and have no negative repercussions for the accuser. Regardless of whether the person facing accusations is innocent or guilty, merely making an accusation is enough to cause long-lasting damage to a professional's reputation.
Doc Bobby Mac shared that he opted to leave a workers compensation clinic because of suspected illegal behavior on part of. In retaliation, the manager of the clinic reportedly worked with a individual under treatment to create a fictitious complaint, accusing him of "undressing in the clinic and soliciting sexual favors in return for a positive workers' compensation report.
He got to know of this accusation over a year after his departure from the clinic, at which point he asserted on undergoing a polygraph examination. The accuser, however, refused to take such a test.
Dr. Bobby MacArthur was later informed that both his truth verification test results and her refusal to participate would be considered inadmissible in court.
The mediating attorney cautioned him that the jury would likely be composed of "her peers" and not his, meaning a court loss could be potentially catastrophic. Despite the ludicrousness of the claim, he was counseled to settle for $29,000
Conclusion
California's Medical Board examined the accuser's claims and found them to be "not trustworthy," hinting at an ongoing investigation into the clinic. When we spoke to Dr. MacArthur, he hinted that the clinic was indicted, but he did not officially state this.
In spite of the previously mentioned details, Doctor MacArthur found no means to remove the allegations made by the accuser from search engine results. Consequently, despite his lack of guilt, the slander campaign was effective.
Considering that the claim does not state that Dr. MacArthur was found guilty, it merely functions as a brief description of a complaint, which continues to be available to the public
Dr. Robert MacArthur strongly believes that those who make baseless allegations should be subject to consequences equivalent to the consequences of the falsely claimed event. To illustrate, he thinks that his false accuser should be classified as a sexual predator and felon.
Doctor MacArthur concluded by thinking about the coexistence of goodness and malevolence in the world, hoping that those who read his account would never cross paths with someone