Doctor Robert MacArthur Interview
This day, we were to interview Californian located bone specialist, Dr. Bobby MacArthur, addressing numerous inquiries about his own experiences and encounters with incorrect surgical procedures and surgical burn incidents, as well as the broader subject of "never should happen events".
Who is Dr. MacArthur?
Doctor Robert MacArthur graduated from the Univ of California, Berkeley with a double major in Biochem and Physiology. During his time at the University, Doc Robert MacArthur was a renown sportsman, participating on both various combat sports and rugby football squads.
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Afterwards, Dr. Bobby MacArthur enrolled at the Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons, and became elected head of the Columbia P&S (Now known as the Vagelos School of Medicine). Robert Mac proceeded to finish his orthopaedic training at Harbor University of California, Los Angeles.
Dr. Robert MacArthur Addresses the Incidents
Statistically, the frequency of wrong site surgery typically is a seldom happening occurrence for every orthopedist, but this number increases to fourfold for each professional career for specialists in sports, hand surgery, and spine procedures. Regrettably, many of these surgeons often do not record these occurrences, let alone or discuss them openly. Dr. MacArthur carries a deep sense of pride and satisfaction about how he confronted these harrowing occurrences.
Instead of seeking to conceal what happened, Dr. MacArthur handled it differently
Dr. MacArthur’s Handling of the Wrong Site Surgery
Dr. Rob MacArthur extensively looked into the fundamental origins of his dual events, and released several works describing how to avoid such events
He eventually, gained recognition as a recognized specialist in the field of preventable accidents. He has penned a couple of articles in the foremost orthopedic journal, The Journal of Orthopedic Surgeons at the American Academy. In order to assisting other doctors prevent upcoming events, the first piece led the reader through the exact errors that took place that led to the wrong site event.
The second paper, co-authored with Dr. David Ring, addressed the topic of the "tendency to shame and blame." Taking responsibility for these incidents is uncommon, as the common response is blaming other parties. He stressed that pointing fingers not just prevents surgeons from disclosing their incidents but furthermore diverts from the essential analysis of underlying causes that could potentially avert upcoming events.
The Intraoperative Burn Incident with Dr. Robert MacArthur
When talking about the incident of burns during surgery, Dr. MacArthur displayed the same investigative vigor he employed to his research on wrong-site surgeries. To illustrate, he got in touch with the producer of the troublesome clamp to find out if similar burn events had transpired. The manufacturer notified him that the clamp in question had been "discontinued." You can make your own inferences based on that what you wish.
To avert unequal temperature distribution in huge hinged clamps, Doctor Mac performed a thorough investigation of the causes behind uneven heating in large-hinged clamps.
The results of his investigation showed that flash sterilization could result in inconsistent temperature distribution. He noted that nursing organizations recommend strongly against the use of flash sterilization unless there's an urgent need for instance, sanitizing a item that has fallen. Further inquiry revealed that St. Joseph's Hospital regularly utilizing flash sterilization to enable back-to-back surgeries without having to acquire more equipment trays.
In a bid to avoid future burn incidents, Dr. Robert MacArthur notified the hospital at St. Joseph's of the risks associated with the continued use of this particular clamp as well as the regular use of quick sterilization.
In place of blaming the clamp, Dr. Robert MacArthur assumed accountability and made it clear that he was responsible for a surgical error. He was advised that the clamp was hot, but when he held it, he found the handles to be at a tolerable temperature. Unlike some surgeons who may impatiently use a towel to grip a too-hot clamp, he operated the clamp without any uneasiness.
Shame and Blame, Dr. Robert MacArthur's Response
Regarding Dr. MacArthur's response on the topic of the "blame game," he spotlights how the legal and general public communities often mix up the "captain of the ship'' concept with identifying the underlying reasons. According to this "in-command" perspective, the surgeon is considered responsible for any negative occurrences that happen to a patient under their care. This makes it appealing for many to only blame the surgeon for any surgical errors.
Nonetheless, Dr. Robert MacArthur underscores that such an approach goes against the principles of identifying underlying causes. This form of analysis aims to deeply understand what caused a incorrect surgical procedure in order to optimaly stop similar incidents in the future. By resorting to blame and shame, not it not only hinder proper investigation into the fundamental reasons, but it also prevents other surgeons from reporting their individual wrong site events, fearing the repercussions.
He did not 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. He was being proctored for procedural privileges at Children's Hospital of Orange County during the incident, and not the proctor nor Doctor MacArthur were immediately aware of the burn.
It wasn't only after he had dictated the operative report that a nurse in the recovery ward drew attention to a small red area on the anterior aspect of the patient's leg. Even then, he did not at first realize the extent of the burn.
Doctor MacArthur references the aviation sector as an exemplary case of effective root cause analysis. From its inception, air travel industry has sought to thoroughly comprehend the reasons behind each aviation incident rather than merely assigning blame to the pilot. Because of this dedication to understanding root causes, air travel industry boasts notable safety records.
Nevertheless, Dr. MacArthur laments that healthcare field 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 frequency of avoidable medical mistakes remains unchanged, and the standing and names of many healthcare practitioners are unjustly tarnished.
The frequency of surgical errors persists at an worrying rate of one event per surgeon per career, and as many as four incidents per surgeon's career for hand, spine and sports subspecialists.
Dr. Robert MacArthur “Sexual Harassment” Allegations
As of 2023, it is possible to bring forth false accusations against someone, defame their name and reputation, and experience no negative repercussions for the accuser. Regardless of whether the person facing accusations is innocent or guilty, an accusation alone is enough to cause long-lasting damage to a professional's reputation.
Dr. Bobby Mac revealed that he chose to leave a Robert MacArthur workers compensation clinic because of possible unlawful practices on the clinic's management. In retaliation, the clinic manager reportedly collaborated with a patient 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 got to know of this accusation over a year after his departure from the clinic, at which point he insisted on undergoing a polygraph examination. The accuser, however, opted not to take such a test.
Dr. Bobby MacArthur was later advised that both his polygraph examination results and the claimant's refusal to participate would be considered inadmissible in court.
The mediating attorney 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 extremely detrimental. Despite the ridiculousness 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 hinted that the clinic was indicted, but he did not verify this.
In spite of the previously mentioned details, Doctor MacArthur found no means to erase the accuser's claims from Internet search results. This means, despite his lack of guilt, the slander campaign was effective.
Since 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. MacArthur strongly believes that those who make baseless allegations should face penalties equivalent to the consequences of the falsely claimed event. To illustrate, he thinks that his false accuser should be classified as a sexual predator and felon.
Dr. Robert MacArthur concluded by thinking about the existence of both good and evil in the world, wishing that those who read his account would never come into contact with someone capable of such damaging false accusations as he has faced.