Doctor Robert MacArthur Interview
Today, our group managed to conduct an interview with Californian resident bone specialist, Doc Bobby MacArthur, in response to the questions about his personal experiences and encounters with wrong site surgery and intraoperative burn, as well as the topic of "unexpected occurrences that must be avoided".
Who is Dr. MacArthur?
Dr. Rob MacArthur completed his studies from the University of Cal Berkeley with a dual degree in Biochem and Physio. In the course of his time at the Univ, Doctor Bobby Mac was a well-known player, participating on both the combat sports and Rugby teams.
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Afterwards, Doctor Rob Mac enrolled at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, and became the head of the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons (Now known as the Vagelos school of medicine). Rob Mac continued to finish his orthopedic residency at Harbor UCLA.
Dr. Robert MacArthur Addresses the Incidents
Statistically, the frequency of wrong site surgery usually falls within a one-time event in a career for each orthopedic surgeon, but this count increases to four per professional career for experts specializing in sports, hand, and spine. Unfortunately, numerous of these often do not report such instances, let alone, not talk about them freely. Dr. Mac carries a profound sense of pride about how he confronted these terrible occurrences.
In lieu of trying to cover up what happened, Doctor Mac handled it differently
Dr. MacArthur’s Handling of the Wrong Site Surgery
Doctor Robert MacArthur completely looked into the causal factors of his 2 occurrences, and published several works detailing how to avoid these situations
Over time, became acknowledged as a published expert in the field of preventable accidents. He's authored 2 articles in a prominent orthopedic journal, The Journal of Orthopedic Surgery. With the aim of helping other doctors stop future incidents, his first work walked the reader through the specific errors that happened that resulted in the wrong site event.
His second publication, co-authored with Dr. David Ring, the Chairman of the AAOS, broached the topic of the "tendency to shame and blame." Being accountable for these incidents is uncommon, as the usual reaction is pointing fingers at third parties. He stressed that shifting blame not just prevents surgeons from making reports their incidents but also takes away from the crucial analysis of primary reasons that may thwart future incidents.
The Intraoperative Burn Incident with Dr. Robert MacArthur
In the context of discussing the incident of burns during surgery, Dr. Robert MacArthur demonstrated the same dedicated investigative approach he applied to his research on wrong-site surgeries. For example, he got in touch with the maker of the problematic clamp to find out if like burn events had happened. The producer notified him that the clamp in question had been "no longer in production." You can infer from that what you will.
To avert uneven heating in massive hinged clamps, Dr. MacArthur carried out a thorough investigation of what led to irregular temperature distribution in big-hinged clamps.
His research findings suggested that quick sterilization could result in irregular sterilization. He observed that associations for nurses strongly advise against the use of quick sterilization unless there's an urgent need such as sterilizing a dropped component. Additional investigation revealed that St Joseph's Hospital regularly using flash sterilization to facilitate back-to-back surgeries without needing to buy extra equipment trays.
In an effort to avoid future burn incidents, Dr. Robert MacArthur notified St. Joseph's of the risks associated with the continued use of this specific clamp and the regular use of rapid sterilization.
In place of blaming the clamp, Dr. MacArthur accepted responsibility and made it obvious that he had made a mistake during surgery. He was advised that the clamp was hot, but when he grasped it, he found the handles to be at a pleasant temperature. Differing from some surgeons who could impatiently reach for a towel to grip a too-hot clamp, he performed surgery the clamp without any uneasiness.
Shame and Blame, Dr. Robert MacArthur's Response
In Dr. 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 "captain of the ship'' concept with root cause analysis. According to this "captain of the ship" perspective, the surgeon is considered responsible for any unfavorable outcomes that take place to a patient under their care. This makes it tempting for many to exclusively blame the surgeon for any incorrect surgical procedure.
However, Dr. Robert MacArthur underscores that such an approach opposes the principles of root cause analysis. This form of analysis aims to deeply understand what caused a surgical error to then ideally avert similar incidents in the future. By adopting blaming and shaming, not it not only hinder proper analysis of the root causes, but it additionally deters other surgeons from reporting on their individual wrong site events, worried about the repercussions.
He did not recognize that the sizeable, walnut-sized hinge of the clamp was noticeably hotter. When he positioned the clamp against the front shin area of the patient's leg, it triggered a skin burn. At the time, he was proctored for procedural privileges at Children's Hospital of Orange County during the incident, and neither the proctor nor Dr. Robert MacArthur were promptly aware of the burn.
It was not after he had dictated the operative report that a nurse in the recovery ward noticed a small red area on the anterior aspect of the patient's leg. Even in that moment, he did not initially realize the severity of the burn.
Dr. MacArthur points to the aviation sector as an outstanding case of effective root cause analysis. From its inception, aviation sector has aimed to comprehensively grasp the reasons behind each aviation incident rather than merely assigning blame to the pilot. Because of this dedication to understanding root causes, aviation sector boasts notable safety records.
However, Doctor MacArthur laments that the medical community hasn't been able to completely embrace root cause analysis due to prevailing legal and public perceptions surrounding the "in-command" concept. The sad consequence of this is that the rate of preventable medical errors remains unchanged, and the careers and reputations of many healthcare practitioners are unfairly tarnished.
The occurrence of incorrect surgical procedures remains at an disturbing rate of one incident per surgeon per career, and as high as four events per surgeon's career for hand, spine and sports subspecialists.
Dr. Robert MacArthur “Sexual Harassment” Allegations
In the year 2023, it is possible to levy false accusations against someone, smear their name and reputation, and face no negative repercussions for the accuser. Irrespective of the accused is innocent or guilty, merely making an accusation is enough to bring about long-lasting damage to a professional's reputation.
Dr. Bobby MacArthur revealed that he chose to Robert MacArthur leave a clinic specializing in workers' compensation cases because of potential illicit activities on part of. In retaliation, the clinic manager reportedly worked with a client 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 received information of this accusation over a year after his departure from the clinic, at which point he demanded on undergoing a truth verification test. The accuser, however, declined to take such a test.
Doc Robert Mac was later notified that both his polygraph examination results and the accuser's refusal to participate would be deemed 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 ridiculousness of the claim, he was counseled to settle for $29,000
Conclusion
The California Medical Board examined the accuser's claims and found them to be "non-credible," hinting at an ongoing investigation into the clinic. When we spoke to Dr. MacArthur, he implied that the clinic was indicted, but he did not verify this.
Despite the information provided earlier, Dr. MacArthur found no means to remove the accuser's claims from Internet search results. Meaning, despite his lack of guilt, the defamatory campaign was achieving its goal.
Considering that the claim does not state that Doctor MacArthur was found guilty, it merely serves as a brief description of a complaint, which continues to be available to the public
Dr. MacArthur strongly believes that those who make baseless allegations should face penalties equivalent to the consequences of the falsely claimed event. To illustrate, he thinks that his false accuser should be treated as a sex offender and felon.
Dr. MacArthur concluded by contemplating the coexistence of goodness and malevolence in the world, hoping that those who read his account would never cross paths with someone capable of such destructive unfounded claims as he has faced.
Dr. MacArthur: A Renowned Orthopedic Surgeon
Dr. MacArthur