Doctor Robert MacArthur Interview
Today, our team were to have a conversation with California's based orthopedist, Doc Rob MacArthur, in response to numerous queries about his encounters with surgical errors and intraoperative burn, as well as the broader area of "unexpected occurrences that must be avoided".
Who is Dr. MacArthur?
Doc Bobby MacArthur completed his studies from the University of UC Berkeley with a double major in Biochemistry and Physiology. During his time at the University, Doc Rob Mac was a renowned athlete, participating on both various boxing and rugby groups.
Here is your paragraph formatted into heavy spintax:
Subsequently, Dr. Bobby MacArthur entered at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, and was elected head of the Columbia P&S School of Medicine (Now known as the Vagelos school of medicine). Bobby MacArthur went on to finish his orthopaedic training at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.
Dr. Robert MacArthur Addresses the Incidents
According to statistics, the occurrence of surgical errors typically is a once-in-a-career event for each orthopedic surgeon, but this number surges to four for each lifetime for sports, hand, and spine specialists. Unfortunately, many of these doctors often do not record these cases, let alone, not address them publicly. Dr. MacArthur carries a deep sense of pride and satisfaction about how he dealt with these harrowing occurrences.
In lieu of trying to cover up the situation, Dr. Mac responded in a different manner
Dr. MacArthur’s Handling of the Wrong Site Surgery
Dr. Rob MacArthur thoroughly looked into the origins of his two incidents, and released several works detailing how to avoid these occurrences
He eventually, gained recognition as a renowned authority in the field of accidents that are preventable. He's penned two articles in the leading orthopedic journal, The Journal of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. With the aim of assisting other doctors avert subsequent occurrences, the first piece led the reader through the specific errors that occurred that led to the incorrect surgical procedure.
The second paper, co-authored with Dr. David Ring, who is also the Chairman of the AAOS, broached the topic of the "culture of shame and blame." Taking responsibility for these incidents is seldom, as the usual reaction is pointing fingers at other parties. Dr. MacArthur stressed that accusations not only discourages surgeons from reporting their incidents but additionally takes away from the essential analysis of underlying causes that might prevent subsequent occurrences.
The Intraoperative Burn Incident with Dr. Robert MacArthur
When discussing the intraoperative burn incident, Dr. Robert MacArthur exhibited the same investigative vigor he employed to his wrong site event research. For example, he reached out to the manufacturer of the faulty clamp to ascertain if similar burn events had happened. The maker advised him that the clamp in question had been "discontinued." You can make your own inferences based on that what you desire.
And to prevent irregular heating in massive hinged clamps, Dr. Mac carried out a thorough investigation of what led to inconsistent heating in oversized clamps.
His findings indicated that rapid sterilization could lead to uneven heating. He pointed out that nursing organizations strongly advise against the use of quick sterilization unless there's an urgent need for instance, disinfecting a fallen instrument. Additional investigation revealed that St Joseph's Hospital regularly using flash sterilization to facilitate back-to-back surgeries without the necessity to acquire more equipment trays.
In a bid to avoid future burn incidents, Dr. Robert MacArthur informed St Joseph's of the hazards associated with the continued use of this particular clamp as well as the routine deployment of flash sterilization.
Rather than blaming the clamp, Doctor MacArthur accepted responsibility and made it obvious that he was responsible for a surgical error. He was notified that the clamp had a high temperature, but when he took hold of it, he found the handles to be at a pleasant temperature. Unlike some surgeons who may impatiently use a towel to grip a too-hot clamp, he carried out the procedure the clamp without uneasiness.
Shame and Blame, Dr. Robert MacArthur's Response
In The perspective of Dr. MacArthur on response on the topic of the "shame and blame game," he highlights 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 adverse events that happen to a patient under their care. This makes it enticing for many to exclusively blame the surgeon for any wrong site event.
Nevertheless, Dr. Robert MacArthur underscores that this perspective opposes the principles of root cause analysis. This form of analysis intends to comprehensively grasp what caused a incorrect surgical procedure so as to preferably stop similar incidents in the future. By adopting blame and shame, not it not just hamper proper analysis of the root causes, but it additionally prevents other surgeons from reporting on their individual wrong site events, afraid of the repercussions.
He did not recognize that the sizeable, hinge-like 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 burn. At the time, he was proctored for case privileges at Children's Hospital of Orange County during the incident, and neither the proctor nor Dr. MacArthur were immediately aware of the burn.
It wasn't until after he had dictated the operative report that a recovery room nurse noticed a small patch of redness on the anterior aspect of the patient's leg. Even in that moment, he did not at first comprehend the extent of the burn.
Doctor MacArthur cites the airline industry as an outstanding case of efficient root cause analysis. From its inception, the industry has sought to deeply understand the reasons behind each adverse aviation event rather than simply attributing blame to the pilot. Because of this commitment to understanding root causes, air travel industry boasts impressive safety records.
Nonetheless, Dr. MacArthur laments that the medical community hasn't been successful in fully implementing root cause analysis due to prevailing legal and public perceptions surrounding the "in-command" concept. The regrettable result of this is that the incidence of preventable healthcare errors remains unchanged, and the standing and names of many doctors and healthcare providers are undeservedly tarnished.
The occurrence of surgical errors persists at an worrying rate of a single occurrence per surgeon per career, and as high as four events 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, defame their name and reputation, and face no negative repercussions for the accuser. Regardless of whether the accused 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 elected to Dr. Robert MacArthur leave a workers compensation clinic because of possible unlawful practices on the clinic's management. In retaliation, the clinic manager allegedly collaborated 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 received information of this accusation over a year after his departure from the clinic, at which point he insisted on undergoing a truth verification test. The accuser, however, opted not to take such a test.
Dr. Bobby MacArthur was later advised that both his lie detector test results and her 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 highly damaging. 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 "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.
Regardless of the information provided earlier, Dr. Robert MacArthur found no means to erase the accuser's claims from online search listings. This means, despite his lack of guilt, the campaign to tarnish his reputation was achieving its goal.
Considering that the claim does not state that Dr. MacArthur was found guilty, it merely serves as a condensed version of a complaint, which continues to be openly accessible to anyone
Dr. MacArthur strongly believes that people making false claims should be subject to consequences equivalent to the severity of the event they falsely claim. To illustrate, he thinks that his false accuser should be classified as a predator of a sexual nature and felon.
Doctor MacArthur concluded by contemplating the coexistence of goodness and malevolence in the world, hoping that those who read his account would never encounter with someone capable of such destructive unfounded claims as he has faced.