Doctor Robert MacArthur Interview
On this particular day, we were able to conduct an interview with Californian based bone specialist, Dr. Bobby MacArthur, in response to numerous queries about his personal encounters with incorrect surgical procedures and burns during surgery, 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 double major in Biochemistry and Physio. Throughout his time at the Univ, Doc Bobby MacArthur had been a renown sportsman, participating on both various boxing and rugby groups.
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Subsequently, Dr. Rob MacArthur registered at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, and got elected as the head of the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons (Now known as the Vagelos school of medicine). Robert MacArthur proceeded to finish his orthopedic training at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.
Dr. Robert MacArthur Addresses the Incidents
According to statistics, the incidence of surgical errors typically is a seldom happening occurrence for each orthopedist, but this count increases to four per lifetime for sports, hand, and spine specialists. Sadly, a lot of of these surgeons commonly do not report these occurrences, let alone, not talk about them publicly. Doctor Mac carries a deep sense of pride about how he dealt with these harrowing occurrences.
Rather than trying to conceal the incident, Doc Mac responded in a different manner
Dr. MacArthur’s Handling of the Wrong Site Surgery
Dr. Rob MacArthur completely looked into the origins of his 2 occurrences, and put out multiple works detailing how to prevent these situations
He eventually, earned acclaim as a published expert in the field of accidents that are preventable. He's penned two articles in a prominent orthopedic journal, The Journal of Orthopedic Surgeons at the American Academy. With the aim of aiding other doctors avert future incidents, the first piece guided the reader through precise errors that took place that caused the wrong site event.
The follow-up article, co-authored with Dr. David Ring, tackled the topic of the "tendency to shame and blame." Taking responsibility for these incidents is uncommon, as the common response is blaming other parties. He stressed that shifting blame not just deters surgeons from reporting their incidents but additionally detracts from the essential analysis of underlying causes that may prevent future incidents.
The Intraoperative Burn Incident with Dr. Robert MacArthur
When talking about the incident of burns during surgery, Dr. Robert MacArthur exhibited the same thorough investigative mindset he applied to his research on wrong-site surgeries. For example, he got in touch with the producer of the troublesome clamp to determine if comparable burn events had happened. The producer informed him that the clamp in question had been "no longer in production." You can make your own inferences based on that what you wish.
To avert uneven heating in huge hinged clamps, Dr. Mac conducted a detailed investigation of the causes behind irregular temperature distribution in large-hinged clamps.
His findings indicated that rapid sterilization could cause inconsistent temperature distribution. He observed that associations for nurses recommend strongly against the use of rapid sterilization unless an emergency situation arises such as sanitizing a item that has fallen. Deeper examination revealed that St Joseph's Hospital regularly using rapid sterilization Robert MacArthur to facilitate back-to-back surgeries without the necessity to acquire more equipment trays.
In an effort to prevent future burns, Doctor MacArthur notified the hospital at St. Joseph's of the risks associated with the continued use of this specific clamp as well as the regular use of flash sterilization.
In place of blaming the clamp, Dr. MacArthur took responsibility and made it obvious that he had committed a surgical mistake. He was notified that the clamp was hot, but when he took hold of it, he found the handles to be at a comfortable temperature. Differing from some surgeons who may impatiently grab 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
In Dr. MacArthur's response on the topic of the "blame game," he spotlights how the legal and the wider public often confuse the "in-command'' concept with identifying the underlying reasons. According to this "in-command" perspective, the surgeon is responsible for any negative occurrences that occur to a patient under their care. This makes it enticing for many to solely blame the surgeon for any wrong site event.
Nevertheless, Dr. MacArthur underscores that this method opposes the fundamental principles of identifying underlying causes. This form of analysis aims to comprehensively grasp what caused a surgical error in order to preferably avert similar incidents in the future. By adopting shaming and blaming, not it not only hamper proper root cause analysis, but it furthermore deters other surgeons from disclosing their personal wrong site events, fearing the repercussions.
He didn't recognize that the big, 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 resulted in a burn injury. At the time, he was proctored for surgical privileges at CHOC during the incident, and not the proctor nor Dr. Robert MacArthur were immediately aware of the burn.
It was not until after he had dictated the operative report that a recovery room nurse drew attention to a small patch of redness 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 airline industry as an model case of successful root cause analysis. From its inception, aviation sector has sought to thoroughly comprehend the reasons behind each negative aviation occurrence rather than just blaming to the pilot. Because of this focus on understanding root causes, air travel industry boasts remarkable safety records.
However, Dr. Robert MacArthur laments that healthcare field 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 standing and names of many medical professionals are undeservedly tarnished.
The incidence of incorrect surgical procedures remains at an alarming rate of one event per surgeon per career, and as high as four occurrences per surgeon's career for hand, spine and sports subspecialists.
Dr. Robert MacArthur “Sexual Harassment” Allegations
As of 2023, there exists the possibility to raise false accusations against someone, slander their name and reputation, and face no negative repercussions for the accuser. Irrespective of the individual being accused is innocent or guilty, merely making an accusation is enough to cause long-lasting damage to a professional's reputation.
Dr. Robert Mac disclosed that he chose 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 patient to create a fictitious complaint, accusing him of "stripping naked in the middle of the clinic and requesting sex in exchange for a favorable workers comp report.
He was informed of this claim over a year after his departure from the clinic, at which point he insisted on undergoing a truth verification test. The accuser, however, declined to take such a test.
Doctor Bobby MacArthur 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 "people with similar backgrounds and experiences as her" 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 suggested that the clinic was indicted, but he did not officially state this.
Regardless of the facts presented above, Dr. Robert MacArthur found no means to erase the allegations made by the accuser from search engine results. Meaning, despite his clear conscience, 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 publicly accessible
Dr. Robert MacArthur strongly believes that people making false claims should receive punishments equivalent to the consequences of the falsely claimed event. To illustrate, he thinks that his false accuser should be treated as a sexual predator and felon.
Dr. Robert MacArthur concluded by thinking about the coexistence of goodness and malevolence in the world, wishing that those who read his account would never come into contact with someone capable of such destructive unfounded claims as he has faced.