It recently made the news when a cosmetic surgeon and nurses in Georgia were “twerking” and performing dance moves while performing surgery. Several of their patients suffered significant complications.
We’d all like to think that the Operating Room is a very professional and safe environment. But what happens when surgery staff go crazy?
Here are some cases:
- A Obstetrician in Manhattan, feeling particularly proud of a C-section incision, carved his initials next to the incision, leaving a scar with the letters “A.Z”. He was terminated from the hospital and lost a $5.5 million lawsuit.
- An operating room technician in Colorado would inject herself with syringes meant for the patient’s anesthesia, then put the syringes back on the tray. She spread Hepatitis C to multiple patients. She was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
- In Minnesota, a surgery nurse was injecting herself with opioids meant for the patient. In one case, she used two thirds of the medication meant as painkiller for a patient having kidney stone surgery, and the patient was screaming in pain during the surgery. The nurse began acting “high” during the surgery, and it was discovered she was stealing medication. The nurse received probation.
- A surgeon in Boston asked a surgery nurse to call about his paycheck several times during a case. When his paycheck was delivered to the OR, the surgeon left in the middle of the surgery to take the check to the bank. He was suspended.
- In New York, a surgeon and an anesthesiologist got into an argument that then escalated into a fist fight, and ended with them brawling on the floor. They then resumed the surgery. They were both fined $10,000.
Healthfacts.blog 