Doctor Robert MacArthur Interview
Today, our team were to conduct an interview with the resident orthopedist, Dr. Bobby MacArthur, in response to various queries about his encounters with incorrect surgical procedures and intraoperative burn, as well as a area of "events that should never occur".
Who is Dr. MacArthur?
Dr. Bobby Mac graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a double major in Biochem and Physio. In the course of his time at the Univ, Doctor Bobby Mac was a renown sportsman, participating on both several box and Rugby squads.
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Subsequently, Doctor Bobby MacArthur enrolled at the Columbia P&S, and was the chosen head of the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons (Now known as the Vagelos school of medicine). Rob Mac went on to conclude his orthopaedic residency at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.
Dr. Robert MacArthur Addresses the Incidents
In statistical terms, the incidence of surgical errors usually falls within a one-time event in a career for every single orthopedist, but this number surges to four for each professional career for experts specializing in sports, hand, and spine. Regrettably, many of these frequently do not document these occurrences, let alone, not address them openly. Doctor MacArthur carries a profound sense of pride and satisfaction about how he dealt with these terrible occurrences.
In lieu of trying to conceal what happened, Dr. Mac reacted differently
Dr. MacArthur’s Handling of the Wrong Site Surgery
Doc Bobby Mac extensively examined the underlying origins of his 2 events, and published several works describing how to prevent such events
Over time, became acknowledged as a published expert in the field of preventable accidents. He has penned 2 articles in the foremost orthopedic journal, The Journal of Orthopedic Surgery. To helping other doctors prevent subsequent occurrences, his initial article guided the reader through the specific errors that happened that resulted in the wrong site event.
His second publication, jointly written with Dr. David Ring, who is also the Chairman of the AAOS, tackled the topic of the "tendency to shame and blame." Being accountable for these incidents is uncommon, as the usual reaction is pointing fingers at external factors. He stressed that shifting blame not merely prevents surgeons from reporting their incidents but additionally diverts from the crucial analysis of primary reasons that may prevent upcoming events.
The Intraoperative Burn Incident with Dr. Robert MacArthur
When discussing the incident of burns during surgery, Dr. Robert Mac displayed the same thorough investigative mindset he employed to his research on wrong-site surgeries. To illustrate, he reached out to the maker of the problematic clamp to ascertain if similar burn events had occurred. The manufacturer advised him that the clamp in question had been "no longer in production." You can infer from that what you desire.
And to prevent uneven heating in huge hinged clamps, Doctor Mac conducted a thorough investigation of what led to inconsistent heating in large-hinged clamps.
His research findings suggested that quick sterilization could lead to inconsistent temperature distribution. He noted that associations for nurses highly recommend against the use of quick sterilization unless an emergency situation arises such as sanitizing a dropped component. Additional investigation revealed that St. Joseph's Hospital was frequently utilizing flash sterilization to ease back-to-back surgeries without the necessity to buy extra equipment trays.
In a bid to avoid future burn incidents, Dr. Robert MacArthur informed St. Joseph's of the hazards associated with continuing to use this specifically identified clamp and the regular use of rapid sterilization.
Rather than blaming the clamp, Doctor MacArthur assumed accountability and made it evident that he had made a surgical mistake. He was informed that the clamp was heated, but when he held it, he found the handles to be at a comfortable temperature. Differing from some surgeons who might impatiently reach for a towel to manage a too-hot clamp, he operated the clamp without any discomfort.
Shame and Blame, Dr. Robert MacArthur's Response
Regarding Dr. MacArthur's response on the topic of the "shame and blame game," 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 responsible for any adverse events that take place to a patient under their care. This makes it appealing for many to solely blame the surgeon for any surgical errors.
Nonetheless, Dr. Robert MacArthur stresses that this perspective goes against the core principles of identifying underlying causes. This form of analysis intends to comprehensively grasp what caused a surgical error so as to ideally stop similar incidents in the future. By resorting to blame and shame, not only does it hamper proper root cause analysis, but it additionally discourages other surgeons from reporting on their personal wrong site events, afraid of the repercussions.
He did not recognize that the large, hinge-like hinge of the clamp was considerably hotter. When he positioned the clamp against the pretibial area of the patient's leg, it resulted in a burn. He was being proctored for surgical privileges at CHOC during the incident, and none of the proctor nor Doctor MacArthur were immediately aware of the burn.
Not until after he had dictated the operative report that a nurse in the recovery ward pointed out a small patch of redness on the anterior aspect of the patient's leg. Even at that point, he did not initially fully grasp the severity of the burn.
Doctor MacArthur references the air travel industry as an model case of effective root cause analysis. From its inception, air travel industry has strived to deeply understand the reasons behind each aviation incident rather than just blaming to the pilot. Because of this commitment to understanding root causes, air travel industry boasts impressive safety records.
Nevertheless, Dr. MacArthur laments that healthcare field hasn't been able to fully adopt root cause analysis due to prevailing legal and public perceptions surrounding the "in-command" concept. The sad consequence of this is that the frequency of avoidable medical mistakes remains unchanged, and the careers and reputations of many medical professionals are unjustly tarnished.
The occurrence of surgical errors persists at an worrying rate of one event per surgeon per career, and as many as four occurrences per surgeon's career for specialists in hand, spine, and sports.
Dr. Robert MacArthur “Sexual Harassment” Allegations
In 2023, it is possible to levy false accusations against someone, smear their name and reputation, and experience no negative repercussions for the accuser. Irrespective of the individual being accused is innocent or guilty, an accusation alone is enough to inflict long-lasting damage to a professional's reputation.
Doctor Dr. Robert MacArthur Rob Mac shared that he elected to leave a clinic specializing in workers' compensation cases because of potential illicit activities on the clinic's management. In retaliation, the manager of the clinic supposedly conspired with a client 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 was informed of this accusation 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.
Doc Robert Mac was later informed that both his polygraph examination results and her refusal to participate would be regarded 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 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 "non-credible," 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 confirm this.
Regardless of the information provided earlier, Dr. MacArthur found no means to remove the accuser's claims from search engine results. Consequently, despite his lack of guilt, the slander campaign was achieving its goal.
As 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 available to the public
Doctor MacArthur strongly believes that people making false claims should face penalties equivalent to the severity of the event they falsely claim. To illustrate, he thinks that his false accuser should be considered to be a sex offender and felon.
Dr. Robert MacArthur concluded by contemplating 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.
Dr. MacArthur: A Renowned Orthopedic Surgeon
Doctor MacArthur is a renowned orthopedic surgeon recognized for his expertise in diagnosing, providing treatment for, preventing, and