Doctor Robert MacArthur Interview
On this particular day, our group were to have a conversation with the located orthopedic surgeon, Doc Rob MacArthur, in response to the queries about his own experiences and encounters with wrong site surgery and surgical burn incidents, as well as the broader subject of "events that should never occur".
Who is Dr. MacArthur?
Doc Bobby MacArthur graduated from the University of Cal Berkeley with a double major in Biochem and Physio. Throughout his time at the Univ, Dr. Rob MacArthur used to be a renown athlete, competing on both the boxing and rugby football teams.
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Following that, Dr. Robert MacArthur enrolled at the Columbia P&S, and was the leader of the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons (Now known as the Vagelos school of medicine). Robert Mac continued to conclude his orthopedic residence at Harbor UCLA.
Dr. Robert MacArthur Addresses the Incidents
In statistical terms, the occurrence of incorrect surgical procedures tends to be a once-in-a-career event for every bone specialist, but this figure surges to 4 per lifetime for specialists in sports, hand surgery, and spine procedures. Sadly, numerous of these surgeons commonly do not record these cases, let alone, not talk about them publicly. Doctor Mac carries a profound sense of pride and satisfaction about how he faced these unfortunate occurrences.
Rather than seeking to conceal what happened, Dr. Mac handled it differently
Dr. MacArthur’s Handling of the Wrong Site Surgery
Doctor Rob Mac thoroughly looked into the underlying origins of his 2 occurrences, and put out multiple works describing how to avoid such events
He eventually, earned acclaim as a published expert in the field of accidents that can be avoided. He's written a couple of articles in the foremost orthopedic journal, The Journal of Orthopedic Surgeons at the American Academy. With the aim of aiding other doctors prevent future incidents, his first work led the reader through the exact errors that happened that led to the incorrect surgical procedure.
His second publication, jointly written with Dr. David Ring, broached the topic of the "culture of shame and blame." Taking responsibility for these incidents is rare, as the usual reaction is placing blame on other parties. Dr. MacArthur stressed that accusations not merely discourages surgeons from reporting their incidents but also takes away from the essential analysis of underlying causes that might prevent future incidents.
The Intraoperative Burn Incident with Dr. Robert MacArthur
When talking about the incident of burns during surgery, Dr. Robert MacArthur displayed the same dedicated investigative approach he utilized to his research on wrong-site surgeries. As an illustration, he contacted the maker of the problematic clamp to ascertain if comparable 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 wish.
To avert unequal temperature distribution in massive hinged clamps, Doc MacArthur performed a detailed investigation of the causes behind inconsistent heating in large-hinged clamps.
His research findings suggested that flash sterilization could lead to inconsistent temperature distribution. He pointed out that nursing associations highly recommend against the use of quick sterilization unless it's an emergency, for instance, disinfecting a item that has fallen. Further inquiry revealed that the hospital at St. Joseph's regularly employing quick sterilization to ease back-to-back surgeries without needing to purchase additional equipment trays.
In an effort to stop further burns, Dr. MacArthur informed St. Joseph's of the risks associated with continuing to use this specifically identified clamp and also the frequent application of rapid sterilization.
Instead of blaming the clamp, Dr. MacArthur accepted responsibility and made it evident that he had committed a surgical error. He was notified that the clamp had a high temperature, but when he took hold of it, he found the handles to be at a pleasant temperature. Unlike some surgeons who may impatiently grab a towel to grip a too-hot clamp, he operated the clamp without any discomfort.
Shame and Blame, Dr. Robert MacArthur's Response
When discussing The perspective of Dr. MacArthur on response on the topic of the "shame and blame game," he highlights how the legal and the wider public often confuse the "in-command'' concept with identifying the underlying reasons. According to this "in-command" perspective, the surgeon is held accountable for any negative occurrences that happen to a patient under their care. This makes it enticing for many to solely blame the surgeon for any surgical errors.
However, Dr. MacArthur stresses that this perspective opposes the principles of identifying underlying causes. This form of analysis aims to deeply understand what caused a wrong site event in order to optimaly prevent similar incidents in the future. By resorting to blaming and shaming, not it not just impede proper analysis of the root causes, but it additionally prevents other surgeons from reporting their personal wrong site events, worried about the repercussions.
He didn't recognize that the big, hinge-like hinge of the clamp was noticeably 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 surgical privileges at CHOC during the incident, and neither the proctor nor Dr. MacArthur were immediately aware of the burn.
It wasn't 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 fully grasp the seriousness of the burn.
Dr. MacArthur points to the aviation sector as an model case of effective root cause analysis. From its inception, aviation sector has sought to comprehensively grasp the reasons behind each adverse aviation event rather than just blaming to the pilot. Because of this commitment to understanding root causes, air travel industry boasts remarkable safety records.
Nonetheless, Dr. MacArthur laments that the medical community hasn't been able to fully adopt root cause analysis due to prevailing legal and public perceptions surrounding the "captain of the ship" concept. The regrettable result of this is that the frequency of avoidable medical mistakes remains unchanged, and the careers and reputations of many healthcare practitioners are undeservedly tarnished.
The incidence of incorrect surgical procedures remains at an worrying rate of one incident per surgeon per career, and up to four occurrences per surgeon's career for hand, spine and sports subspecialists.
Dr. Robert MacArthur “Sexual Harassment” Allegations
In the year 2023, there exists the possibility to bring forth false accusations against someone, defame their name and reputation, and experience no negative repercussions for the accuser. Regardless if the individual being accused is innocent or guilty, merely making an accusation is enough to cause long-lasting damage to a professional's reputation.
Doctor Robert MacArthur revealed that he elected to leave a clinic specializing in workers' compensation cases because of possible unlawful practices on the clinic's management. In retaliation, the clinic's manager allegedly worked with a client 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 allegation over a year after his departure from the clinic, at which point he demanded on undergoing a lie detector test. The accuser, however, refused to take such a test.
Doc Rob Mac was later notified that Dr. Robert MacArthur both his polygraph examination 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 potentially catastrophic. Despite the absurdity of the claim, he was counseled to settle for $29,000
Conclusion
The California 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 hinted that the clinic was indicted, but he did not officially state this.
In spite of the facts presented above, Dr. MacArthur found no means to remove the allegations made by the accuser from Internet search results. Meaning, despite his clear conscience, the defamatory campaign was effective.
Considering that the claim does not state that Doctor MacArthur was found guilty, it merely functions 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 be subject to consequences 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 thinking about the existence of both good and evil in the world, praying that those who read his account would never come into contact with someone capable of such damaging