Doctor Robert MacArthur Interview
On this particular day, our group managed to have a conversation with California's resident orthopedist, Doc Robert Mac, in response to the inquiries about his experiences and encounters with wrong site surgery and intraoperative burn, as well as the broader subject of "never should happen events".
Who is Dr. MacArthur?
Doc Rob Mac completed his studies from the University of Cal Berkeley with a double major in Biochem and Physio. In the course of his time at the Univ, Doctor Rob MacArthur had been a well-known sportsman, participating on both the boxing and rugby football groups.
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Subsequently, Dr. Rob MacArthur enrolled at the Columbia P&S, and became elected head of the Columbia P&S (Now known as the Vagelos school of medicine). Bobby MacArthur went on to conclude his orthopedic residence at Harbor University of California, Los Angeles.
Dr. Robert MacArthur Addresses the Incidents
According to statistics, the frequency of Dr. Robert MacArthur wrong site surgery tends to be a once-in-a-career event for each bone specialist, but this number increases to fourfold for each lifetime for experts specializing in sports, hand, and spine. Regrettably, a lot of of these commonly do not document such instances, let alone address them publicly. Doctor Mac carries a profound sense of pride and satisfaction about how he dealt with these unfortunate occurrences.
In lieu of attempting to cover up the situation, Doctor Mac responded in a different manner
Dr. MacArthur’s Handling of the Wrong Site Surgery
Dr. Rob MacArthur completely looked into the underlying root causes of his two occurrences, and published several works detailing how to prevent these occurrences
He eventually, gained recognition as a renowned authority in the field of accidents that are preventable. He's authored two articles in a prominent orthopedic journal, The Journal of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. In order to assisting other doctors avert future incidents, the first piece walked the reader through the specific errors that took place that resulted in the wrong site event.
His second publication, co-authored with Dr. David Ring, the Chairman of the AAOS, addressed the topic of the "tendency to shame and blame." Being accountable for these incidents is seldom, as the common response is pointing fingers at third parties. He stressed that shifting blame not only prevents surgeons from disclosing their incidents but furthermore detracts from the vital analysis of underlying causes that could potentially prevent subsequent occurrences.
The Intraoperative Burn Incident with Dr. Robert MacArthur
In the context of discussing the intraoperative burn incident, Dr. Robert MacArthur exhibited the same thorough investigative mindset he applied to his research on wrong-site surgeries. To illustrate, he got in touch with the manufacturer of the problematic clamp to determine if similar burn events had happened. The maker advised him that the clamp in question had been "no longer in production." You can infer from that what you desire.
In order to avoid irregular heating in huge hinged clamps, Doctor MacArthur carried out a comprehensive investigation of the causes behind irregular temperature distribution in large-hinged clamps.
His research findings suggested that rapid sterilization could lead to irregular sterilization. He observed that associations for nurses recommend strongly against the use of flash sterilization unless it's an emergency, for instance, sanitizing a item that has fallen. Deeper examination revealed that St Joseph's Hospital often using flash sterilization to enable back-to-back surgeries without the necessity to buy extra equipment trays.
In an effort to prevent future burns, Dr. MacArthur alerted St Joseph's of the hazards associated with the continued use of this specifically identified clamp and the regular use of flash sterilization.
Instead of blaming the clamp, Dr. Robert MacArthur assumed accountability and made it obvious that he had made 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 tolerable temperature. Differing from some surgeons who could impatiently grab a towel to manage a too-hot clamp, he performed surgery the clamp without any pain.
Shame and Blame, Dr. Robert MacArthur's Response
In Dr. MacArthur's response on the topic of the "shame and blame game," he highlights how the legal and public communities often confuse the "in-command'' concept with identifying the underlying reasons. According to this "captain of the ship" perspective, the surgeon is considered responsible for any unfavorable outcomes that take place to a patient under their care. This makes it tempting for many to exclusively blame the surgeon for any wrong site event.
Nevertheless, Doctor MacArthur underscores that such an approach opposes the principles of identifying underlying causes. This form of analysis intends to comprehensively grasp what caused a wrong site event in order to preferably avert similar incidents in the future. By turning to blaming and shaming, not it not only impede proper analysis of the root causes, but it furthermore discourages other surgeons from reporting on their own wrong site events, fearing the repercussions.
He did not recognize that the big, walnut-sized hinge of the clamp was considerably hotter. When he positioned the clamp against the front shin area of the patient's leg, it caused a burn injury. He was being proctored for procedural privileges at CHOC during the incident, and not the proctor nor Doctor MacArthur were immediately aware of the burn.
It wasn't after he had dictated the operative report that a nurse in the recovery ward pointed out a tiny red spot on the anterior aspect of the patient's leg. Even then, he did not at first fully grasp the severity of the burn.
Doctor MacArthur cites the aviation sector as an outstanding case of efficient root cause analysis. From its inception, air travel industry has sought to deeply understand the reasons behind each adverse aviation event rather than simply attributing blame to the pilot. Because of this dedication to understanding root causes, the airline industry boasts notable safety records.
Nonetheless, Dr. Robert MacArthur laments that the medical community 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 unjustly tarnished.
The incidence of incorrect surgical procedures persists at an alarming rate of a single occurrence per surgeon per career, and as many as four incidents per surgeon's career for specialists in hand, spine, and sports.
Dr. Robert MacArthur “Sexual Harassment” Allegations
As of 2023, there exists the possibility to levy false accusations against someone, smear their name and reputation, and experience no negative repercussions for the accuser. Irrespective of the accused is innocent or guilty, just making an allegation is enough to bring about long-lasting damage to a professional's reputation.
Doctor Robert MacArthur shared that he opted to leave a workers compensation clinic because of possible unlawful practices on the clinic's management. In retaliation, the clinic manager reportedly worked with a individual under treatment 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 allegation over a year after his departure from the clinic, at which point he demanded on undergoing a polygraph examination. The accuser, however, opted not to take such a test.
Doc Rob Mac was later informed that both his truth verification test 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 "people with similar backgrounds and experiences as her" 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
California's 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 hinted that the clinic was indicted, but he did not confirm this.
In spite of the facts presented above, Dr. Robert MacArthur found no means to eliminate the allegations made by the accuser from Internet search results. This means, despite his lack of guilt, the defamatory campaign was effective.
Since the claim does not state that Dr. MacArthur was found guilty, it merely serves as a summary of a complaint, which continues to be available to the public
Doctor MacArthur strongly believes that individuals who lodge false accusations 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.
Dr. Robert MacArthur concluded by thinking about the coexistence of goodness and malevolence in the world, praying that those who read his account would never