Doctor Robert MacArthur Interview
Today, our group were able to conduct an interview with Californian based orthopedist, Doctor Rob Mac, in response to various questions about his own experiences and 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 MacArthur completed his studies from the University of UC Berkeley with a double major in Biochemistry and Physio. During his time at the Univ, Doc Rob MacArthur used to be a renown player, participating on both the combat sports and rugby squads.
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Following that, Doc Bobby MacArthur entered 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 orthopaedic training at Harbor University of California, Los Angeles.
Dr. Robert MacArthur Addresses the Incidents
According to statistics, the frequency of incorrect surgical procedures typically is a seldom happening occurrence for each orthopedist, but this number increases to fourfold in each professional career for specialists in sports, hand surgery, and spine procedures. Regrettably, a lot of of these doctors commonly do not document such instances, let alone talk about them openly. Dr. MacArthur carries a deep sense of pride and satisfaction about how he faced these terrible occurrences.
Instead of attempting to hide the incident, Dr. Mac handled it differently
Dr. MacArthur’s Handling of the Wrong Site Surgery
Doc Rob MacArthur extensively looked into the causal factors of his two incidents, and published several works describing how to avoid these situations
Over time, earned acclaim as a published expert in the field of accidents that can be avoided. He has authored a couple of articles in a prominent orthopedic journal, The Journal of Orthopedic Surgery. With the aim of helping other doctors stop subsequent occurrences, the first piece walked the reader through the specific errors that took place that led to the incorrect surgical procedure.
The second paper, authored together with Dr. David Ring, broached the topic of the "culture of shame and blame." Assuming responsibility for these incidents is seldom, as the usual reaction is blaming other parties. Dr. MacArthur stressed that pointing fingers not just prevents surgeons from making reports their incidents but additionally takes away from the vital analysis of underlying causes that might avert future incidents.
The Intraoperative Burn Incident with Dr. Robert MacArthur
When discussing the intraoperative burn incident, Dr. MacArthur displayed the same thorough investigative mindset he utilized to his research on wrong-site surgeries. To illustrate, he reached out to the maker of the troublesome clamp to determine if similar burn events had transpired. The manufacturer notified him that the clamp in question had been "no longer in production." You can infer from that what you wish.
And to prevent irregular heating in huge hinged clamps, Dr. Mac performed a detailed investigation of the causes behind irregular temperature distribution in big-hinged clamps.
His findings indicated that rapid sterilization could cause irregular sterilization. He noted that associations for nurses strongly advise against the use of quick sterilization unless an emergency situation arises like sterilizing a fallen instrument. Further inquiry revealed that St Joseph's Hospital regularly utilizing flash sterilization to ease back-to-back surgeries without needing to purchase additional equipment trays.
With the aim to prevent future burns, Dr. MacArthur informed the hospital at St. Joseph's of potential dangers associated with ongoing utilization of this specifically identified clamp and also the frequent application of flash sterilization.
Rather than blaming the clamp, Doctor MacArthur accepted responsibility and made it clear that he had made a surgical mistake. He was notified that the clamp was hot, but when he held it, he found the handles to be at a comfortable temperature. In contrast to some surgeons who may impatiently reach for a towel to manage a too-hot clamp, he performed surgery the clamp without any pain.
Shame and Blame, Dr. Robert MacArthur's Response
Regarding Dr. MacArthur's response on the topic of the "culture of blame and shame," he spotlights how the legal and the wider public often conflate the "captain of the ship'' concept with identifying the underlying reasons. According to this "captain of the ship" perspective, the surgeon is considered responsible for any negative occurrences that take place to a patient under their care. This makes it appealing for many to solely blame the surgeon for any wrong site event.
However, Doctor MacArthur stresses that this perspective opposes the core principles of investigating root causes. This form of analysis intends to comprehensively grasp what caused a incorrect surgical procedure so as to ideally stop similar incidents in the future. By adopting blame and shame, not it not only hamper proper root cause analysis, but it additionally discourages other surgeons from disclosing their personal wrong site events, fearing the repercussions.
He did not recognize that the sizeable, 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 triggered a skin burn. At the time, he was proctored for procedural privileges at the CHOC Hospital during the incident, and neither the proctor nor Dr. MacArthur were right away aware of the burn.
Not until until after he had dictated the operative report that a nurse in the recovery ward noticed a tiny red spot on the anterior aspect of the patient's leg. Even at that point, he did not at the outset realize the severity of the burn.
Dr. MacArthur references the air travel industry as an model case of efficient root cause analysis. From its inception, air travel industry has strived 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, the airline industry boasts impressive safety records.
Nevertheless, Doctor 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 unfortunate outcome of this is that the incidence of preventable healthcare errors remains unchanged, and the careers and reputations of many medical professionals are unfairly tarnished.
The occurrence of wrong site surgery remains at an alarming rate of one event per surgeon per career, and up to four incidents per surgeon's career for specialists in hand, spine, and sports.
Dr. Robert MacArthur “Sexual Harassment” Allegations
As of 2023, it is feasible to levy false accusations against someone, defame their name and reputation, and experience no negative repercussions for the accuser. Regardless if the individual being accused is innocent or guilty, merely making an accusation is enough to bring about long-lasting damage to Dr. Robert MacArthur a professional's reputation.
Doctor Robert Mac shared that he elected to leave a clinic specializing in workers' compensation cases because of possible unlawful practices on part of. In retaliation, the clinic's manager allegedly conspired with a client to make a false accusation, 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, refused to take such a test.
Doctor Robert MacArthur was later advised that both his lie detector test results and her refusal to participate would be deemed 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
California's 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 suggested that the clinic was indicted, but he did not verify this.
In spite of the facts presented above, Dr. MacArthur found no means to remove the allegations made by the accuser from Internet search results. This means, despite his innocence, the defamatory campaign was achieving its goal.
Considering that the claim does not state that Dr. Robert MacArthur was found guilty, it merely serves as a condensed version of a complaint, which continues to be available to the public
Dr. Robert MacArthur strongly believes that individuals who lodge false accusations should receive punishments equivalent to the severity of the event they falsely claim. To illustrate, he thinks that his false accuser should be classified as a sexual predator and felon.
Dr. MacArthur concluded by reflecting on the existence of both good and evil in the world, hoping that those who read his account would never cross paths with someone capable of such damaging false