Doctor Robert MacArthur Interview

On this particular day, our group were to interview California's based bone specialist, Doctor Robert MacArthur Robert MacArthur, in light of the inquiries about his experiences with incorrect surgical procedures and surgical burn incidents, as well as a area of "events that should never occur".

Who is Dr. MacArthur?

Dr. Robert Mac graduated from the Univ of UC Berkeley with a dual degree in Biochem and Physio. During his time at the University, Doc Rob MacArthur used to be a well-known player, participating on both various box and Rugby teams.

Here is your paragraph formatted into heavy spintax:

Following that, Doc Robert MacArthur registered at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, and got elected as the chosen head of the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons (Now known as the Vagelos school of medicine). Rob Mac proceeded to finish his orthopaedic residency at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.

Dr. Robert MacArthur Addresses the Incidents

In statistical terms, the frequency of surgical errors usually falls within a once-in-a-career event for each orthopedist, but this count increases to four in each career for sports, hand, and spine specialists. Unfortunately, a lot of of these surgeons frequently do not document such instances, let alone or address them freely. Doc MacArthur carries a profound sense of pride and accomplishment about how he faced these terrible occurrences.

Rather than attempting to conceal what happened, Dr. Mac handled it differently

Dr. MacArthur’s Handling of the Wrong Site Surgery

Doctor Rob MacArthur extensively investigated the fundamental origins of his two events, and released numerous works detailing how to stop such events

Over time, gained recognition as a recognized specialist in the field of accidents that are preventable. He's authored 2 articles in the leading orthopedic journal, The Journal of Orthopedic Surgeons at the American Academy. To helping other doctors avert upcoming events, his initial article walked the reader through the specific errors that took place that caused the wrong site event.

The follow-up article, 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 seldom, as the tempting course of action is placing blame on other parties. He stressed that shifting blame not only prevents surgeons from disclosing their incidents but also detracts from the essential analysis of root causes that might avert future incidents.

The Intraoperative Burn Incident with Dr. Robert MacArthur

When discussing the surgical burn occurrence, Dr. MacArthur displayed the same thorough investigative mindset he employed to his wrong site event research. For example, he got in touch with the producer of the faulty clamp to determine if similar burn events had transpired. The maker advised him that the clamp in question had been "discontinued." You can make your own inferences based on that what you will.

To avert unequal temperature distribution in large hinged clamps, Dr. Mac performed a comprehensive investigation of the reasons for irregular temperature distribution in oversized clamps.

His findings indicated that quick sterilization could result in inconsistent temperature distribution. He noted that nursing organizations strongly advise against the use of quick sterilization unless an emergency situation arises such as disinfecting a item that has fallen. Additional investigation revealed that St Joseph's Hospital was frequently employing flash sterilization to ease back-to-back surgeries without having to buy extra equipment trays.

With the aim to avoid future burn incidents, Dr. MacArthur notified the hospital at St. Joseph's of potential dangers associated with the continued use of this specific clamp and also the frequent application of flash sterilization.

Instead of blaming the clamp, Doctor MacArthur took responsibility and made it obvious that he had made a surgical error. He was notified that the clamp was heated, but when he grasped it, he found the handles to be at a pleasant temperature. Unlike some surgeons who might impatiently reach for a towel to handle a too-hot clamp, he carried out the procedure the clamp without any discomfort.

Shame and Blame, Dr. Robert MacArthur's Response

When discussing The perspective of Dr. MacArthur on response on the topic of the "blame game," he spotlights how the legal and the wider public often confuse the "captain of the ship'' concept with analyzing the fundamental causes. According to this "in-command" perspective, the surgeon is considered responsible for any negative occurrences that happen to a patient under their care. This makes it appealing for many to only blame the surgeon for any wrong site event.

However, Dr. Robert MacArthur stresses that such an approach contradicts the principles of root cause analysis. This form of analysis intends to thoroughly comprehend what caused a surgical error in order to ideally avert similar incidents in the future. By resorting to shaming and blaming, not it not only hamper proper investigation into the fundamental reasons, but it furthermore prevents other surgeons from reporting on their individual wrong site events, worried about the repercussions.

He didn't recognize that the sizeable, substantial-sized hinge of the clamp was considerably hotter. When he positioned the clamp against the pretibial area of the patient's leg, it caused a burn injury. At the time, he was proctored for surgical privileges at CHOC during the incident, and none of the proctor nor Dr. Robert MacArthur were immediately aware of the burn.

It was not only after he had dictated the operative report that a recovery room nurse pointed out a tiny red spot on the anterior aspect of the patient's leg. Even in that moment, he did not initially realize the seriousness of the burn.

Dr. Robert MacArthur cites the airline industry as an exemplary case of efficient root cause analysis. From its inception, aviation sector has sought to comprehensively grasp the reasons behind each aviation incident rather than simply attributing blame to the pilot. Because of this dedication to understanding root causes, aviation sector boasts remarkable safety records.

However, Doctor MacArthur laments that medical profession hasn't been able to fully adopt root cause analysis due to prevailing legal and public perceptions surrounding the "in-command" concept. The sad consequence of this is that the incidence of preventable healthcare errors remains unchanged, and the careers and reputations of many doctors and healthcare providers are unfairly tarnished.

The frequency of wrong site surgery remains at an alarming 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, there exists the possibility to bring forth false accusations against someone, slander their name and reputation, and experience 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 Rob Mac revealed that he opted to leave a clinic specializing in workers' compensation cases because of suspected illegal behavior on the clinic's management. In retaliation, the clinic manager reportedly collaborated with a client to fabricate a claim, accusing him of "stripping naked in the middle of the clinic and requesting sex in exchange for a favorable workers comp 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 lie detector test. The accuser, however, refused to take such a test.

Doctor Robert Mac was later notified that both his lie detector test results and the accuser's refusal to participate would be regarded inadmissible in court.

The attorney facilitating the mediation cautioned him that the jury would likely be composed of "her peers" and not his, meaning a court loss could be extremely detrimental. Despite the ridiculousness of the claim, he was counseled to settle for $29,000

Conclusion

The Medical Board of California 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 suggested that the clinic was indicted, but he did not confirm this.

Despite the information provided earlier, Doctor MacArthur found no means to eliminate the accuser's claims from Internet search results. This means, despite his innocence, the campaign to tarnish his reputation was achieving its goal.

Since the claim does not state that Doctor MacArthur was found guilty, it merely serves as a condensed version of a complaint, which continues to be publicly accessible

Dr. MacArthur strongly believes that individuals who lodge false accusations should receive punishments equivalent to the severity of the event they falsely claim. To illustrate, he thinks that his false accuser should be treated as a sex offender and felon.

Dr. Robert MacArthur concluded by thinking about the coexistence of goodness and malevolence in the world, hoping that those who read his account would never come into contact with someone capable of such destructive unfounded