Doctor Robert MacArthur Interview
This day, our group managed to interview the resident orthopedist, Dr. Robert MacArthur, in response to numerous questions about his own experiences and encounters with incorrect surgical procedures and surgical burn incidents, as well as the broader area of "events that should never occur".
Who is Dr. MacArthur?
Doctor Bobby Mac completed his studies from the Univ of UC Berkeley with a double major in Biochem and Physiology. In the course of his time at the Univ, Doc Bobby Mac had been a renowned athlete, participating on both various boxing and rugby football groups.
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Following that, Doctor Bobby MacArthur entered at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, and was elected leader of the Columbia P&S (Now known as the Vagelos School of Medicine). Bobby Mac continued to conclude his orthopaedic residence at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.
Dr. Robert MacArthur Addresses the Incidents
In statistical terms, the incidence of surgical errors tends to be a once-in-a-career event for each orthopedist, but this figure surges to four in each professional career for specialists in sports, hand surgery, and spine procedures. Unfortunately, numerous of these surgeons often do not record such instances, let alone address them publicly. Doctor Mac carries a deep sense of pride and accomplishment about how he faced these harrowing occurrences.
Rather than seeking to hide the incident, Doctor Mac handled it differently
Dr. MacArthur’s Handling of the Wrong Site Surgery
Doctor Robert Mac extensively looked into the underlying root causes of his dual events, and put out multiple works describing how to stop these situations
Gradually, became acknowledged as a published expert in the field of accidents that are preventable. He's penned two articles in a prominent orthopedic journal, The Journal of Orthopedic Surgeons at the American Academy. With the aim of helping other doctors stop future incidents, the first piece led the reader through precise errors that took place that caused the incorrect surgical procedure.
His second publication, co-authored with Dr. David Ring, who is also the Chairman of the AAOS, addressed the topic of the "tendency to shame and blame." Assuming responsibility for these incidents is uncommon, as the common response is pointing fingers at external factors. He stressed that shifting blame not only deters surgeons from reporting their incidents but additionally detracts from the essential analysis of root causes that may avert subsequent occurrences.
The Intraoperative Burn Incident with Dr. Robert MacArthur
In the context of discussing the intraoperative burn incident, Dr. Robert Mac exhibited the same dedicated investigative approach he utilized to his research on wrong-site surgeries. To illustrate, he contacted the producer of the troublesome clamp to determine if similar burn events had occurred. The maker informed him that the clamp in question had been "no longer in production." You can infer from that what you will.
In order to avoid irregular heating in large hinged clamps, Dr. Mac conducted a comprehensive investigation of the reasons for inconsistent heating in oversized clamps.
His research findings suggested that quick sterilization could cause irregular sterilization. He noted that nursing associations recommend strongly against the use of rapid sterilization unless an emergency situation arises for instance, sterilizing a item that has fallen. Deeper examination revealed that St Joseph's Hospital was frequently using flash sterilization to facilitate back-to-back surgeries without the necessity to acquire more equipment trays.
In an effort to prevent future burns, Dr. MacArthur informed St. Joseph's of the risks associated with ongoing utilization of this particular clamp and also the regular use of flash sterilization.
Rather than blaming the clamp, Doctor MacArthur took responsibility and made it obvious that he had committed a surgical mistake. He was informed that the clamp was hot, but when he held it, he found the handles to be at a comfortable temperature. Differing from some surgeons who might impatiently use a towel to grip a too-hot clamp, he performed surgery the clamp without any uneasiness.
Shame and Blame, Dr. Robert MacArthur's Response
In The perspective of Dr. MacArthur on response on the topic of the "blame game," he highlights how the legal and public communities often confuse the "in-command'' concept with identifying the underlying reasons. According to this "in-command" perspective, the surgeon is considered responsible for any unfavorable outcomes that happen to a patient under their care. This makes it tempting for many to only blame the surgeon for any incorrect surgical procedure.
Nevertheless, Dr. Robert MacArthur underscores that this method opposes the fundamental principles of investigating root causes. This form of analysis aims to comprehensively grasp what caused a wrong site event so as to optimaly avert similar incidents in the future. By adopting blaming and shaming, not only does it hinder proper analysis of the root causes, but it also prevents other surgeons from reporting their individual wrong site events, fearing the repercussions.
He didn't recognize that the sizeable, hinge-like 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 burn injury. He was being proctored for case privileges at Children's Hospital of Orange County during the incident, and neither the proctor nor Dr. Robert MacArthur were right away aware of the burn.
It wasn't after he had dictated the operative report that a nurse in the recovery ward noticed a small red area on the anterior aspect of the patient's leg. Even in that moment, he did not initially realize the seriousness of the burn.
Dr. MacArthur cites the air travel industry as an model case of successful root cause analysis. From its inception, aviation sector has sought to deeply understand the reasons behind each aviation incident rather than merely assigning blame to the pilot. Because of this focus on understanding root causes, aviation sector boasts remarkable safety records.
However, 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 "captain of the ship" concept. The unfortunate outcome 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 occurrence of wrong site surgery remains at an alarming rate of a single occurrence per surgeon per career, and as many as four incidents per Dr. Robert MacArthur surgeon's career for hand, spine and sports subspecialists.
Dr. Robert MacArthur “Sexual Harassment” Allegations
In the year 2023, it is feasible to levy false accusations against someone, smear their name and reputation, and face no negative repercussions for the accuser. Regardless if the individual being accused is innocent or guilty, just making an allegation is enough to cause long-lasting damage to a professional's reputation.
Doc Robert Mac shared that he opted to leave a clinic specializing in workers' compensation cases because of possible unlawful practices on the clinic's management. In retaliation, the clinic manager supposedly worked 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 got to know of this claim over a year after his departure from the clinic, at which point he asserted on undergoing a polygraph examination. The accuser, however, opted not to take such a test.
Doctor Bobby Mac was later advised that both his lie detector test results and her refusal to participate would be regarded inadmissible in court.
The mediating attorney 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 absurdity 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 implied that the clinic was indicted, but he did not officially state this.
Regardless of the facts presented above, Doctor MacArthur found no means to eliminate the accuser's claims from online search listings. This means, despite his clear conscience, the slander campaign was achieving its goal.
Considering that the claim does not state that Dr. MacArthur was found guilty, it merely serves as a brief description of a complaint, which continues to be publicly accessible
Doctor MacArthur strongly believes that individuals who lodge false accusations should receive punishments equivalent to the consequences of the falsely claimed event. To illustrate, he thinks that his false accuser should be treated as a sexual predator and felon.
Dr. MacArthur concluded by contemplating the coexistence of goodness and malevolence in the world, hoping that those who read his account would never cross paths with someone capable of such harmful baseless allegations as he has faced.