Doctor Robert MacArthur Interview
Today, we were able to interview Californian resident orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Robert Mac, in response to the inquiries about his experiences with wrong site surgery and intraoperative burn, as well as the broader topic of "never should happen events".
Who is Dr. MacArthur?
Dr. Bobby Mac graduated from the Univ of UC Berkeley with a double major in Biochemistry and Physiology. In the course of his time at the University, Dr. Rob MacArthur was a renowned sportsman, participating on both several box and rugby teams.
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Following that, Doc Robert Mac entered at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, and was elected head of the Columbia P&S School of Medicine (Now known as the Vagelos School of Medicine). Rob MacArthur went on to complete his orthopedic residency at Harbor UCLA.
Dr. Robert MacArthur Addresses the Incidents
According to statistics, the incidence of incorrect surgical procedures typically is a once-in-a-career event for every single bone specialist, but this count jumps to fourfold in each lifetime for experts specializing in sports, hand, and spine. Regrettably, numerous of these surgeons commonly do not report these cases, let alone or address them openly. Doc Mac carries a intense sense of pride and accomplishment about how he confronted these harrowing occurrences.
In lieu of seeking to cover up the incident, Dr. Mac responded in a different manner
Dr. MacArthur’s Handling of the Wrong Site Surgery
Doctor Robert MacArthur completely looked into the origins of his dual occurrences, and published several works outlining how to prevent these situations
Gradually, gained recognition as a published expert in the field Robert MacArthur of accidents that can be avoided. He's written 2 articles in the leading orthopedic journal, The Journal of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. With the aim of assisting other doctors stop subsequent occurrences, the first piece walked the reader through precise errors that happened that led to the incorrect surgical procedure.
The follow-up article, co-authored with Dr. David Ring, addressed the topic of the "culture of shame and blame." Assuming responsibility for these incidents is rare, as the usual reaction is pointing fingers at other parties. Dr. MacArthur stressed that shifting blame not just prevents surgeons from disclosing their incidents but furthermore diverts from the crucial analysis of primary reasons that could potentially prevent future incidents.
The Intraoperative Burn Incident with Dr. Robert MacArthur
When talking about the intraoperative burn incident, Dr. Robert Mac demonstrated 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 like burn events had occurred. The producer advised him that the clamp in question had been "no longer in production." You can infer from that what you desire.
In order to avoid uneven heating in massive hinged clamps, Doc Mac performed a thorough investigation of what led to uneven heating in oversized clamps.
His findings indicated that quick sterilization could lead to inconsistent temperature distribution. He observed that nursing organizations strongly advise against the use of quick sterilization unless there's an urgent need like disinfecting a item that has fallen. Deeper examination revealed that St Joseph's Hospital regularly employing rapid sterilization to ease back-to-back surgeries without needing to purchase additional equipment trays.
With the aim to avoid future burn incidents, Dr. Robert MacArthur notified the hospital at St. Joseph's of the hazards associated with continuing to use this specific clamp and also the routine deployment of rapid sterilization.
In place of blaming the clamp, Doctor MacArthur assumed accountability and made it clear that he had made a mistake during surgery. He was notified that the clamp was hot, but when he grasped it, he found the handles to be at a tolerable temperature. Unlike some surgeons who might impatiently grab a towel to grip a too-hot clamp, he performed surgery the clamp without any uneasiness.
Shame and Blame, Dr. Robert MacArthur's Response
When discussing The perspective of Dr. MacArthur on response on the topic of the "culture of blame and shame," he highlights how the legal and public communities often confuse the "captain of the ship'' concept with analyzing the fundamental causes. According to this "captain of the ship" perspective, the surgeon is responsible for any negative occurrences that take place to a patient under their care. This makes it tempting for many to only blame the surgeon for any surgical errors.
However, Dr. Robert MacArthur stresses that such an approach opposes the principles of root cause analysis. This form of analysis strives to comprehensively grasp what caused a incorrect surgical procedure so as to ideally avert similar incidents in the future. By resorting to shaming and blaming, not it not just hamper proper analysis of the root causes, but it additionally discourages other surgeons from reporting on their individual wrong site events, worried about the repercussions.
He did not recognize that the sizeable, substantial-sized hinge of the clamp was significantly hotter. When he positioned the clamp against the front shin area of the patient's leg, it triggered a burn injury. At the time, he was proctored for procedural privileges at CHOC during the incident, and neither the proctor nor Dr. MacArthur were right away aware of the burn.
It wasn't after he had dictated the operative report that an attending nurse in the recovery room drew attention to a small patch of redness on the anterior aspect of the patient's leg. Even at that point, he did not at first comprehend the seriousness of the burn.
Doctor MacArthur references the aviation sector as an exemplary case of successful root cause analysis. From its inception, air travel industry has aimed to comprehensively grasp the reasons behind each adverse aviation event rather than simply attributing blame to the pilot. Because of this dedication to understanding root causes, aviation sector boasts remarkable safety records.
Nevertheless, Dr. Robert 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 incidence of preventable healthcare errors remains unchanged, and the standing and names of many medical professionals are unjustly tarnished.
The incidence of surgical errors remains at an worrying rate of one event per surgeon per career, and as many as four occurrences per surgeon's career for hand, spine and sports subspecialists.
Dr. Robert MacArthur “Sexual Harassment” Allegations
In 2023, it is feasible to raise false accusations against someone, slander their name and reputation, and have no negative repercussions for the accuser. Regardless if the individual being accused is innocent or guilty, just making an allegation is enough to bring about long-lasting damage to a professional's reputation.
Dr. Bobby MacArthur disclosed that he elected to leave a clinic specializing in workers' compensation cases because of suspected illegal behavior on the clinic's management. In retaliation, the clinic manager reportedly conspired with a client to create a fictitious complaint, accusing him of "undressing in the clinic and soliciting sexual favors in return for a positive workers' compensation report.
He received information of this accusation over a year after his departure from the clinic, at which point he insisted on undergoing a truth verification test. The accuser, however, declined to take such a test.
Dr. Bobby MacArthur was later advised that both his truth verification test results and the claimant's refusal to participate would be considered inadmissible in court.
The lawyer acting as mediator cautioned him that the jury would likely be composed of "individuals similar to her" 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
The Medical Board of California 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 hinted that the clinic was indicted, but he did not officially state this.
Regardless of the facts presented above, Dr. MacArthur found no means to erase the accuser's claims from Internet search results. Consequently, despite his lack of guilt, the defamatory campaign was successful.
As the claim does not state that Dr. MacArthur was found guilty, it merely acts as a condensed version of a complaint, which continues to be openly accessible to anyone
Dr. Robert MacArthur strongly believes that those who make baseless allegations should receive punishments equivalent to the severity of the event they falsely claim. To illustrate, he thinks that his false accuser should be treated 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 encounter with someone capable of such damaging false accusations as he has faced.