Doctor Robert MacArthur Interview
Today, our group were able to have a conversation with California's based orthopedist, Doc Rob MacArthur, in light of the questions about his personal encounters with surgical errors and surgical burn incidents, as well as the broader area of "unexpected occurrences that must be avoided".
Who is Dr. MacArthur?
Doctor Rob Mac graduated from the Univ of Cal Berkeley with a double major in Biochem and Physiology. In the course of his time at the Univ, Doctor Rob Mac was a renowned sportsman, engaging on both several combat sports and rugby squads.
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Subsequently, Doc Rob Mac registered at the Columbia P&S, and was elected president of the Columbia P&S (Now known as the Vagelos Medical School). Rob MacArthur proceeded to complete his orthopedic residency at Harbor University of California, Los Angeles.
Dr. Robert MacArthur Addresses the Incidents
According to statistics, the incidence of surgical errors typically is a once-in-a-career event for every single bone specialist, but this count increases to four in each career for sports, hand, and spine specialists. Sadly, a lot of of these surgeons commonly do not record these cases, let alone, not talk about them openly. Doctor MacArthur carries a intense sense of pride and satisfaction about how he confronted these harrowing occurrences.
Rather than attempting to cover up the situation, Doctor MacArthur handled it differently
Dr. MacArthur’s Handling of the Wrong Site Surgery
Dr. Bobby MacArthur completely examined the causal factors of his dual incidents, and published multiple works outlining how to stop such events
Gradually, earned acclaim as a renowned authority in the field of preventable accidents. He has penned 2 articles in the foremost orthopedic journal, The Journal of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. With the aim of assisting other doctors avert subsequent occurrences, his initial article walked the reader through the specific errors that happened that led to the incorrect surgical procedure.
His second publication, co-authored with Dr. David Ring, who is also the Chairman of the AAOS, tackled the topic of the "shame and blame game." Taking responsibility for these incidents is seldom, as the usual reaction is blaming external factors. Dr. MacArthur stressed that shifting blame not just discourages surgeons from disclosing their incidents but furthermore takes away from the essential analysis of root causes that might avert subsequent occurrences.
The Intraoperative Burn Incident with Dr. Robert MacArthur
When talking about the surgical burn occurrence, Dr. MacArthur demonstrated the same investigative vigor he utilized to his wrong site event research. To illustrate, he reached out to the maker of the faulty clamp to determine if like burn events had occurred. The maker advised him that the clamp in question had been "no longer in production." You can infer from that what you will.
And to prevent irregular heating in large hinged clamps, Doc Mac conducted a thorough investigation of the reasons for inconsistent heating in big-hinged clamps.
His findings indicated that flash sterilization could lead to uneven heating. He observed that nursing organizations highly recommend against the use of rapid sterilization unless it's an emergency, such as sanitizing a item that has fallen. Additional investigation revealed that St Joseph's Hospital regularly utilizing rapid sterilization to enable back-to-back surgeries without needing to purchase additional equipment trays.
In a bid to stop further burns, Dr. MacArthur alerted St. Joseph's of the hazards associated with the continued use of this specifically identified clamp as well as the routine deployment of quick sterilization.
Rather than blaming the clamp, Dr. MacArthur took responsibility and made it obvious that he had committed a surgical error. He was informed that the clamp was hot, but when he took hold of it, he found the handles to be at a pleasant temperature. In contrast to some surgeons who may impatiently reach for a towel to grip a too-hot clamp, he performed surgery the clamp with no uneasiness.
Shame and Blame, Dr. Robert MacArthur's Response
In Doctor MacArthur's response on the topic of the "culture of blame and shame," he spotlights how the legal and the wider public often mix up the "in-command'' concept with analyzing the fundamental causes. According to this "captain of the ship" perspective, the surgeon is considered responsible for any unfavorable outcomes that happen to a patient under their care. This makes it enticing for many to solely blame the surgeon for any surgical errors.
Nonetheless, Dr. MacArthur stresses that this perspective contradicts the fundamental principles of identifying underlying causes. This form of analysis aims to deeply understand what caused a wrong site event to then optimaly prevent 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 failed to recognize that the sizeable, hinge-like hinge of the clamp was significantly hotter. When he positioned the clamp against the shin area of the patient's leg, it resulted in a burn injury. At the time, he was proctored for surgical privileges at Children's Hospital of Orange County during the incident, and not the proctor nor Dr. Robert MacArthur were promptly aware of the burn.
It wasn't only after he had dictated the operative report that an attending nurse in the recovery room noticed a tiny red spot on the anterior aspect of the patient's leg. Even at that point, he did not initially fully grasp the seriousness of the burn.
Doctor MacArthur references the airline industry as an exemplary case of efficient root cause analysis. From its inception, the industry has strived to deeply understand the reasons behind each aviation incident rather than simply attributing blame to the pilot. Because of this commitment to understanding root causes, the airline industry boasts notable safety records.
Nevertheless, Dr. Robert MacArthur laments that medical profession hasn't been able to completely embrace root cause analysis due to prevailing legal and public perceptions surrounding the "in-command" concept. The regrettable result of this is that the frequency of avoidable medical mistakes remains unchanged, and the professional careers and reputations of many medical professionals are unfairly tarnished.
The frequency of surgical errors continues at an alarming rate of one incident per surgeon per career, and as high as four incidents per surgeon's career for specialists in hand, spine, and sports.
Dr. Robert MacArthur “Sexual Harassment” Allegations
In 2023, it is possible to levy false accusations against someone, slander their name and reputation, and have no negative repercussions for the accuser. Irrespective of the person facing accusations is innocent or guilty, just making an allegation is enough to inflict long-lasting damage to a professional's reputation.
Doctor Bobby Mac shared that he chose to leave a workers compensation clinic Robert MacArthur because of potential illicit activities on the clinic's management. In retaliation, the clinic's manager supposedly conspired with a individual under treatment to fabricate a claim, accusing him of "undressing in the clinic and soliciting sexual favors in return for a positive workers' compensation report.
He received information of this claim 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.
Dr. Bobby MacArthur was later notified that both his polygraph examination results and the accuser's refusal to participate would be regarded inadmissible in court.
The lawyer acting as mediator 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 absurdity 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 "lacking credibility," 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 verify this.
Despite the facts presented above, Dr. MacArthur found no means to remove the allegations made by the accuser from search engine results. Consequently, despite his clear conscience, the campaign to tarnish his reputation was achieving its goal.
Considering that the claim does not state that Doctor MacArthur was found guilty, it merely functions as a condensed version of a complaint, which continues to be openly accessible to anyone
Doctor MacArthur strongly believes that individuals who lodge false accusations should face penalties equivalent to the severity of the event they falsely claim. To illustrate, he thinks that his false accuser should be considered to be a predator of a sexual nature and felon.
Dr. MacArthur concluded by reflecting on the existence of both good and evil in the world, praying that those who read his account would never encounter with someone capable of such destructive unfounded claims as he has faced.
Dr. MacArthur: A Renowned Orthopedic Surgeon
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