Doctor Robert MacArthur Interview
This day, we managed to conduct an interview with Californian based bone specialist, Dr. Robert MacArthur, in response to various questions about his own experiences with surgical errors and intraoperative burn, as well as a topic of "never should happen events".
Who is Dr. MacArthur?
Dr. Bobby MacArthur completed his studies from the University of California, Berkeley with a double major in Biochemistry and Physio. In the course of his time at the University, Dr. Robert Mac had been a well-known athlete, participating on both various box and rugby squads.
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Afterwards, Doc Rob MacArthur enrolled at the Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons, and became elected head of the Columbia P&S School of Medicine (Now known as the Vagelos school of medicine). Rob MacArthur continued to conclude his orthopaedic residency at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.
Dr. Robert MacArthur Addresses the Incidents
In statistical terms, the occurrence of surgical errors tends to be a seldom happening occurrence for every bone specialist, but this count surges to four per professional career for experts specializing in sports, hand, and spine. Sadly, numerous of these doctors frequently do not document these occurrences, let alone, not address them openly. Doc Mac carries a profound sense of pride and accomplishment about how he faced these harrowing occurrences.
Instead of attempting to hide the situation, Doctor Mac handled it differently
Dr. MacArthur’s Handling of the Wrong Site Surgery
Dr. Bobby Mac thoroughly examined the fundamental causal factors of his two incidents, and put out several works describing how to prevent these situations
Over time, became acknowledged as a renowned authority in the field of preventable accidents. He has authored 2 articles in a prominent orthopedic journal, The Journal of Orthopedic Surgeons at the American Academy. In order to helping other doctors prevent upcoming events, his initial article guided the reader through precise errors that happened that resulted in the incorrect surgical procedure.
The second paper, jointly written with Dr. David Ring, addressed the topic of the "shame and blame game." Being accountable for these incidents is rare, as the Robert MacArthur tempting course of action is placing blame on external factors. He stressed that pointing fingers not merely discourages surgeons from disclosing their incidents but furthermore detracts from the crucial analysis of root causes that might avert subsequent occurrences.
The Intraoperative Burn Incident with Dr. Robert MacArthur
When talking about the intraoperative burn incident, Dr. Robert Mac demonstrated the same dedicated investigative approach he applied to his research on wrong-site surgeries. To illustrate, he got in touch with the manufacturer of the troublesome clamp to ascertain if like burn events had transpired. The maker advised him that the clamp in question had been "discontinued." You can draw your own conclusions from that what you desire.
To avert irregular heating in large hinged clamps, Dr. MacArthur carried out a detailed investigation of the reasons for inconsistent heating in big-hinged clamps.
His findings indicated that rapid sterilization could cause uneven heating. He pointed out that nursing associations highly recommend against the use of rapid sterilization unless an emergency situation arises such as disinfecting a fallen instrument. Further inquiry revealed that the hospital at St. Joseph's regularly employing quick sterilization to facilitate back-to-back surgeries without having to purchase additional equipment trays.
In an effort to stop further burns, Dr. Robert MacArthur notified St Joseph's of the hazards associated with continuing to use this specifically identified clamp and also the frequent application of quick sterilization.
Rather than blaming the clamp, Dr. MacArthur accepted responsibility and made it evident that he was responsible for a surgical error. He was advised that the clamp was hot, but when he took hold of it, he found the handles to be at a pleasant temperature. In contrast to some surgeons who might impatiently grab a towel to handle a too-hot clamp, he performed surgery the clamp without any discomfort.
Shame and Blame, Dr. Robert MacArthur's Response
In The perspective of Dr. MacArthur on response on the topic of the "culture of blame and shame," he emphasizes how the legal and the wider public often mix up 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 negative occurrences that occur to a patient under their care. This makes it appealing for many to solely blame the surgeon for any surgical errors.
Nevertheless, Doctor MacArthur underscores that such an approach goes against the principles of root cause analysis. This form of analysis intends to comprehensively grasp what caused a wrong site event so as to optimaly stop similar incidents in the future. By adopting shaming and blaming, not it not only hinder proper analysis of the root causes, but it also prevents other surgeons from reporting 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 triggered a burn injury. He was being proctored for case privileges at Children's Hospital of Orange County during the incident, and none of the proctor nor Doctor MacArthur were immediately aware of the burn.
It was not until after he had dictated the operative report that a nurse in the recovery ward pointed out a small red area on the anterior aspect of the patient's leg. Even in that moment, he did not at the outset comprehend the extent of the burn.
Dr. Robert MacArthur references the airline industry as an model case of successful root cause analysis. From its inception, the industry has strived to comprehensively grasp the reasons behind each aviation incident rather than merely assigning blame to the pilot. Because of this commitment to understanding root causes, the airline industry boasts notable safety records.
Nonetheless, Dr. MacArthur laments that the medical community hasn't been able to completely embrace 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 standing and names of many medical professionals are unjustly tarnished.
The frequency of wrong site surgery remains at an worrying rate of a single occurrence per surgeon per career, and as high as four occurrences per surgeon's career for hand, spine and sports subspecialists.
Dr. Robert MacArthur “Sexual Harassment” Allegations
As of 2023, it is feasible to bring forth false accusations against someone, smear 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 bring about long-lasting damage to a professional's reputation.
Doctor Robert MacArthur shared that he opted to leave a clinic specializing in workers' compensation cases because of potential illicit activities on the clinic's management. In retaliation, the clinic manager reportedly conspired with a individual under treatment 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 received information of this accusation over a year after his departure from the clinic, at which point he asserted on undergoing a truth verification test. The accuser, however, opted not to take such a test.
Doctor Robert Mac was later advised that both his polygraph examination results and her refusal to participate would be considered 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 potentially catastrophic. 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 "not trustworthy," 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 verify this.
Despite the facts presented above, Dr. MacArthur found no means to remove the accuser's claims from Internet search results. This means, despite his clear conscience, the campaign to tarnish his reputation was achieving its goal.
Since the claim does not state that Doctor MacArthur was found guilty, it merely serves as a condensed version 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 considered to be a sexual predator and felon.
Dr. Robert MacArthur concluded by reflecting on the existence of both good and evil in the world, praying that those who read his account would never encounter with someone capable of such harmful baseless allegations as he has faced.