Doctor Robert MacArthur Interview
This day, we were able to conduct an interview with California's resident bone specialist, Dr. Bobby MacArthur, in response to various inquiries about his own experiences with incorrect surgical procedures and burns during surgery, as well as the broader area of "events that should never occur".
Who is Dr. MacArthur?
Dr. Rob MacArthur completed his studies from the University Dr. Robert MacArthur of Cal Berkeley with a double major in Biochem and Physio. In the course of his time at the University, Dr. Bobby Mac was a renown player, competing on both various combat sports and Rugby groups.
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Following that, Doctor Robert MacArthur enrolled at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, and was elected president of the Columbia P&S (Now known as the Vagelos school of medicine). Robert MacArthur went on to finish his orthopaedic training at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.
Dr. Robert MacArthur Addresses the Incidents
In statistical terms, the occurrence of wrong site surgery tends to be a once-in-a-career event for every single bone specialist, but this number increases to fourfold per professional career for sports, hand, and spine specialists. Regrettably, a lot of of these surgeons frequently do not report these occurrences, let alone, not address them publicly. Doc MacArthur carries a deep sense of pride about how he confronted these harrowing occurrences.
In lieu of trying to conceal what happened, Doc Mac reacted differently
Dr. MacArthur’s Handling of the Wrong Site Surgery
Doctor Bobby Mac extensively looked into the underlying origins of his 2 incidents, and put out multiple works describing how to prevent these occurrences
Over time, became acknowledged as a renowned authority in the field of preventable accidents. He has authored two articles in a prominent orthopedic journal, The Journal of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. To aiding other doctors avert upcoming events, his initial article guided the reader through precise errors that occurred that caused the wrong site event.
His second publication, authored together with Dr. David Ring, the Chairman of the AAOS, addressed the topic of the "culture of shame and blame." Being accountable for these incidents is rare, as the tempting course of action is placing blame on third parties. Dr. MacArthur stressed that shifting blame not just discourages surgeons from reporting their incidents but additionally diverts from the crucial analysis of primary reasons that could potentially thwart upcoming events.
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 thorough investigative mindset he employed to his wrong site event research. For example, he contacted the producer of the troublesome clamp to find out if similar burn events had happened. The maker advised him that the clamp in question had been "discontinued." You can infer from that what you will.
In order to avoid irregular heating in massive hinged clamps, Doc Mac conducted a comprehensive investigation of what led to uneven heating in large-hinged clamps.
His findings indicated that flash sterilization could result in uneven heating. He pointed out that nursing associations strongly advise against the use of rapid sterilization unless an emergency situation arises such as sanitizing a dropped component. Deeper examination revealed that St Joseph's Hospital often using quick sterilization to ease back-to-back surgeries without the necessity to acquire more equipment trays.
With the aim to prevent future burns, Dr. Robert MacArthur alerted St. Joseph's of potential dangers associated with the continued use of this specifically identified clamp as well as the frequent application of rapid sterilization.
Rather than blaming the clamp, Dr. MacArthur took responsibility and made it evident that he was responsible for a mistake during surgery. He was notified that the clamp had a high temperature, but when he held it, he found the handles to be at a comfortable temperature. In contrast to some surgeons who could impatiently use a towel to manage a too-hot clamp, he performed surgery the clamp without any pain.
Shame and Blame, Dr. Robert MacArthur's Response
Regarding The perspective of Dr. MacArthur on response on the topic of the "shame and blame game," he spotlights how the legal and the wider public often conflate the "in-command'' concept with root cause analysis. According to this "in-command" perspective, the surgeon is held accountable for any unfavorable outcomes that take place to a patient under their care. This makes it tempting for many to only blame the surgeon for any surgical errors.
Nevertheless, Doctor MacArthur emphasizes that such an approach opposes the core principles of investigating root causes. This form of analysis strives to thoroughly comprehend what caused a incorrect surgical procedure to then preferably stop similar incidents in the future. By resorting to shaming and blaming, not it not only hamper proper root cause analysis, but it additionally discourages other surgeons from reporting on their personal wrong site events, afraid of the repercussions.
He did not recognize that the sizeable, hinge-like 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 injury. At the time, he was proctored for case privileges at the CHOC Hospital during the incident, and none of the proctor nor Doctor MacArthur were right away aware of the burn.
It was not after he had dictated the operative report that a nurse in the recovery ward drew attention to a tiny red spot on the anterior aspect of the patient's leg. Even then, he did not at the outset realize the seriousness of the burn.
Dr. Robert MacArthur points to the air travel industry as an outstanding case of successful root cause analysis. From its inception, aviation sector has strived to comprehensively grasp the reasons behind each adverse aviation event rather than simply attributing blame to the pilot. Because of this focus on understanding root causes, air travel industry boasts remarkable safety records.
However, Dr. MacArthur laments that medical profession hasn't been able to fully adopt root cause analysis due to prevailing legal and public perceptions surrounding the "captain of the ship" concept. The sad consequence of this is that the frequency of avoidable medical mistakes remains unchanged, and the standing and names of many doctors and healthcare providers are undeservedly tarnished.
The occurrence of incorrect surgical procedures remains at an worrying rate of one event per surgeon per career, and as high as four incidents 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, smear their name and reputation, and face no negative repercussions for the accuser. Regardless if the individual being accused is innocent or guilty, merely making an accusation is enough to inflict long-lasting damage to a professional's reputation.
Doctor Rob Mac revealed that he opted to leave a workers compensation clinic because of potential illicit activities on the clinic's management. In retaliation, the clinic's manager reportedly conspired 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 claim over a year after his departure from the clinic, at which point he asserted on undergoing a truth verification test. The accuser, however, opted not to take such a test.
Doc Robert Mac was later notified that both his polygraph examination results and her refusal to participate would be considered inadmissible in court.
The lawyer acting as mediator cautioned him that the jury would likely be composed of "individuals similar to her" and not his, meaning a court loss could be extremely detrimental. Despite the ludicrousness 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 suggested that the clinic was indicted, but he did not officially state this.
In spite of the information provided earlier, Dr. MacArthur found no means to remove the allegations made by the accuser from search engine results. This means, despite his lack of guilt, the campaign to tarnish his reputation was effective.
As the claim does not state that Dr. MacArthur was found guilty, it merely serves as a summary of a complaint, which continues to be publicly accessible
Dr. Robert MacArthur strongly believes that people making false claims 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 predator of a sexual nature and felon.
Doctor MacArthur concluded by reflecting on the existence of both good and evil in the world, wishing that those who read his account would never cross paths with someone capable of such harmful baseless allegations as he has faced.