Doctor Robert MacArthur Interview
On this particular day, we were to interview California's resident orthopedic surgeon, Doc Bobby Mac, addressing the questions about his personal experiences with wrong site surgery and intraoperative burn, as well as a subject of "never should happen events".
Who is Dr. MacArthur?
Dr. Robert Mac completed his studies from the University of Cal Berkeley with a double major in Biochemistry and Physio. During his time at the University, Dr. Robert Mac had been a well-known athlete, engaging on both several box and rugby football teams.
Here is your paragraph formatted into heavy spintax:
Following that, Doc Robert Mac enrolled at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, and was elected leader of the Columbia P&S School of Medicine (Now known as the Vagelos school of medicine). Rob Mac continued to finish his orthopaedic residence at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.
Dr. Robert MacArthur Addresses the Incidents
In statistical terms, the frequency of incorrect surgical procedures typically is a one-time event in a career for each orthopedist, but this count increases to four per professional career for specialists in sports, hand surgery, and spine procedures. Unfortunately, a lot of of these surgeons frequently do not record these occurrences, let alone or talk about them openly. Dr. MacArthur carries a intense sense of pride about how he faced these harrowing occurrences.
In lieu of seeking to conceal the situation, Doc Mac handled it differently
Dr. MacArthur’s Handling of the Wrong Site Surgery
Dr. Robert MacArthur completely investigated the causal factors of his 2 incidents, and put out multiple works outlining how to avoid such events
Over time, gained recognition as a recognized specialist in the field of preventable accidents. He has penned two articles in a prominent orthopedic journal, The Journal of Orthopedic Surgeons at the American Academy. With the aim of helping other doctors avert future incidents, his first work guided the reader through the specific errors that happened that caused the incorrect surgical procedure.
The follow-up article, co-authored with Dr. David Ring, addressed the topic of the "shame and blame game." Assuming responsibility for these incidents is uncommon, as the tempting course of action is placing blame on other parties. Dr. MacArthur stressed that shifting blame not only prevents surgeons from making reports their incidents but additionally diverts from the essential analysis of underlying causes that could potentially prevent 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 dedicated investigative approach he employed to his research on wrong-site surgeries. To illustrate, he reached out to the maker of the problematic clamp to find out if similar burn events had occurred. The manufacturer advised him that the clamp in question had been "no longer in production." You can draw your own conclusions from that what you will.
And to prevent irregular heating in large hinged clamps, Doc MacArthur conducted a detailed investigation of what led to uneven heating in large-hinged clamps.
His findings indicated that quick sterilization could result in uneven heating. He pointed out that associations for nurses highly recommend against the use of flash sterilization unless an emergency situation arises such as sanitizing a item that has fallen. Deeper examination revealed that the hospital at St. Joseph's regularly utilizing quick sterilization to ease back-to-back surgeries without the necessity to buy extra equipment trays.
In a bid to prevent future burns, Doctor MacArthur alerted St. Joseph's of the risks associated with continuing to use this specific clamp and also the routine deployment of rapid sterilization.
Rather than blaming the clamp, Dr. MacArthur assumed accountability and made it clear that he was responsible for a mistake during surgery. He was informed that the clamp was hot, but when he grasped it, he found the handles to be at a comfortable temperature. In contrast to some surgeons who may impatiently grab a towel to grip a too-hot clamp, he performed surgery the clamp with no pain.
Shame and Blame, Dr. Robert MacArthur's Response
When discussing Doctor MacArthur's response on the topic of the "shame and blame game," he highlights how the legal and the wider public often confuse the "captain of the ship'' concept with root cause analysis. According to this "captain of the ship" perspective, the surgeon is held accountable for any unfavorable outcomes that happen to a patient under their care. This makes it tempting for many to solely blame the surgeon for any incorrect surgical procedure.
However, Doctor MacArthur emphasizes that this perspective opposes the core principles of root cause analysis. This form of analysis intends to thoroughly comprehend what caused a incorrect surgical procedure to then ideally avert similar incidents in the future. By turning to blame and shame, not it not only hamper proper root cause analysis, but it also prevents other surgeons from reporting their individual wrong site events, worried about the repercussions.
He did not recognize that the big, substantial-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 case privileges at the CHOC Hospital during the incident, and none of the proctor nor Dr. MacArthur were promptly aware of the burn.
Not until only after he had dictated the operative report that a nurse in the recovery ward noticed a small patch of redness on the anterior aspect of the patient's leg. Even in that moment, he did not at the outset comprehend the seriousness of the burn.
Doctor MacArthur points to the aviation sector as an model case of successful 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 remarkable safety records.
Nonetheless, Dr. MacArthur laments that medical profession hasn't been successful in fully implementing root cause analysis due to prevailing legal and public perceptions surrounding the "in-command" concept. The sad consequence of this is that the rate of preventable medical errors remains unchanged, and the careers and reputations of many healthcare practitioners are unfairly tarnished.
The frequency of surgical errors remains at an disturbing rate of a single occurrence per surgeon per career, and as many as four events per surgeon's career for specialists in hand, spine, and sports.
Dr. Robert MacArthur “Sexual Harassment” Allegations
In the year 2023, it is feasible to bring forth false accusations against someone, slander their name and reputation, and have no negative repercussions for the accuser. Regardless of whether the person facing accusations is innocent or guilty, merely making an accusation is enough to inflict long-lasting damage to a professional's reputation.
Dr. Rob Mac disclosed 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 supposedly collaborated with a individual under treatment to make a false accusation, accusing him of "undressing in the clinic and soliciting sexual favors in return for a positive workers' compensation report.
He was informed of this allegation over a year after his departure from the clinic, at which point he insisted on undergoing a lie detector test. The accuser, however, declined to take such a test.
Doc Robert Mac was later notified that both his polygraph examination results and the accuser's refusal to participate would be considered inadmissible in court.
The attorney facilitating the mediation 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 absurdity of the claim, he was counseled to settle for $29,000
Conclusion
The Medical Board of California 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.
Despite the previously mentioned details, Doctor 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 successful.
As the claim does not state that Dr. MacArthur was found guilty, it merely acts Dr. Robert MacArthur as a summary of a complaint, which continues to be publicly accessible
Dr. Robert MacArthur strongly believes that people making false claims should be subject to consequences equivalent to the consequences of the falsely claimed event. To illustrate, he thinks that his false accuser should be considered to be a sex offender and felon.
Doctor MacArthur concluded by thinking about 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 damaging false accusations as he has faced.