Surgeon Goes From 'Brilliant' to Banned

yahoo news/AP ^ | May 20, 2005 | WILLIAM McCALL

[Polybius]

A doctors business is known as a 'practice', the same as an attorneys. What other businesses fit that status?

Any other profession that is considered an art.

That is where the expression comes from: "To practice the art of......."

The job of a pilot can be performed perfectly by an autopilot. The job of a car worker can be performed perfectly by a robotic device. The mechanics of completing a tax return can be performed perfectly by a software program.

Once you are willing to entrust your life to a robotic device hooked up to a computer, then medicine will no longer be considered a human art and it will no longer be referred to as a "practice".

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[kcvl]

As an RN, I see Doc's like this frequently. They are a scary bunch.

Have you reported any of them?

[B4Ranch]

Calm down Doc. For every 100 doctors there is 60 mediocre ones and and 39 lousy ones who seem to enjoy bouncing their patients from visit to visit and ONE good one who just wants the patient to get better and get out of the office so they can take care of the next person who needs their experience.

Where do you fit in? Are you a Doctor who makes a diagnosis, issues prescriptions that are changed three times before the effective medicine is located or are you one with enough experience to do it once.

[motormouth]

You guys still do that whale snot thing? ;o)

[motormouth]

Yes.
One.

[kcvl]

Dr Jayant Patel worked for healthcare major Kaiser Permanente since 1989 and his troubles appear to have begun in the mid 1990s when a 65- year-old man on whom he performed pancreatic surgery died two days after the operation. Following reports of several other dodgy operations, Kaiser reviewed 79 patient files and banned him from certain types of operation.

According to the Oregon State Board of Medical Examiners, Patel was disciplined in 2000 for "gross or repeated acts of negligence", based on a review of cases forwarded by Kaiser Permanente. Among the cases reported were that of a 67-'year-old man who died the day after Dr Patel performed liver surgery and a 59-year-old man who permanently lost gastrointestinal function after Dr Patel performed a colostomy "backwards".

Despite such a dubious track record, Dr Jayant Patel found his way to the Bundaberg Hospital in Queensland, Australia, where he took up a $200,000 per year job as chief of surgery. Reports in the Australian media now suggest that he was responsible for at least 14 botched operations there, including some that may have resulted in deaths.

Efforts to trace Dr Jayant Patel were unsuccessful and it is possible that some of the media accounts are over the top. But his professional record and reputation in Oregon is certainly spotty. The Aussie media is now reporting that he is also accused of sexual harassment and may be on the lam in India.

******

There is a Patel family that owns thousands of hotels in the U.S. worth millions. I'm not sure if this Patel is related or not. They're a shady bunch of folks also.

[motormouth]

As a matter of fact, he is here tonight, (I am at work).
Needless to say, he doesnt like me very much.
Im crushed..;o)

[HiTech RedNeck]

Any other profession that is considered an art.

So, Pablo Picasso had the practice of painting?

[HiTech RedNeck]

If my State takes away the State Medical License of a doctor my Hospital Q.A. Committe has exposed (as that Portland, Oregon Hospital did) it is the responsibility of YOUR STATE to ensure he does not get a license in your State.

Kind of hard to catch if he's OK at first, practices in both states, then in his first state his practice begins to stink and they can his license. How does the second state learn about this so they may do likewise?

[HiTech RedNeck]

I think Patel in India is like Jones in the USA.

[Polybius]

Any other profession that is considered an art.

So, Pablo Picasso had the practice of painting?

Ummm...........No.

The correct English phrase would be, "Picasso practiced the art of painting."

[Polybius]

If my State takes away the State Medical License of a doctor my Hospital Q.A. Committe has exposed (as that Portland, Oregon Hospital did) it is the responsibility of YOUR STATE to ensure he does not get a license in your State.

Kind of hard to catch if he's OK at first, practices in both states, then in his first state his practice begins to stink and they can his license. How does the second state learn about this so they may do likewise?

See Post 96:

"The Board also restricted his ability to perform surgeries. The Board reported these disciplinary actions to three (3) national data banks."

When Dr. Killalot screws the pooch in your state, it is the responsibility of your State Board to notify all the other States he had medical licenses in as well as reporting it to data bases so that other States he applies to in the future will also know about him.

Of course, this does absolutely ZERO good if a State such as the Australian State of Queensland never bothers to look for the information either on the data banks or by contacting the applicant's prior Medical Boards:

"2005 – Early spring Dr. Patel surfaced in the Australian state of Queensland. Australian authorities failed to check with the BME. "

[Polybius]

Calm down Doc. For every 100 doctors there is 60 mediocre ones and and 39 lousy ones who seem to enjoy bouncing their patients from visit to visit and ONE good one who just wants the patient to get better and get out of the office so they can take care of the next person who needs their experience. Where do you fit in? Are you a Doctor who makes a diagnosis, issues prescriptions that are changed three times before the effective medicine is located or are you one with enough experience to do it once.

If IIRC, gas_dr is an anesthesiologist, hence his screen name.

That means he has the guts to go to work every day knowing that one mistake can mean that he would be responsible for a dead body.

You don't survive in such a specialty for a single day by being either "lousy" or "mediocre".

How risky is your job, B4Ranch?

[B4Ranch]

>>"That means he has the guts to go to work every day knowing that one mistake can mean that he would be responsible for a dead body."<<

That is the same risk every car or truck driver has. One mistake and you can be responsible for a dead body."

>>You don't survive in such a specialty for a single day by being either "lousy" or "mediocre".<<

That's not what my doctor tells me. There are excellent and there are mediocre anesthesiologists.

It used to be one anesthesiologist for one surgery patient, not anymore. I'm not sure of the numbers but it has changed so you do have to be able to handle I think, at least two patients at the same time. More than one patient has died because of the rule change.

How risky is your job,

Driving a wheelchair isn't risky at all. I'm retired. Walking without my cane is about the riskiest thing I do in a day.

[Nov3]

Here I am, an M.D. preaching about Duty and Honor and the legal duty to report the incompetent SOB's, and everybody and their pet hamster is making excuses about why it can't possibly work!

Don't sit here and say that BS. It is manifest BS. I had a doctor rupture my left eye and I had to travel 600+ miles to get another doctor who would even give me an honest opinion and nearly 900 to get the subsequent cornea transplant. You are truly in denial if you think there isn't a code. I was told by doctors that the community was small in Memphis and NO ONE would touch me because the mere fact they were touching me would involve them.

You are WAY into denial if you think it is any other way. The doctors are as bad as cops.

BTW you didn't answer my previous question how many malpractice cases were reported that weren't drug related or by a disgruntled nurse or doctor. Out of the probably millions of instances of Malpractice last year I be there were damn few.

[Polybius]

It used to be one anesthesiologist for one surgery patient, not anymore. I'm not sure of the numbers but it has changed so you do have to be able to handle I think, at least two patients at the same time. More than one patient has died because of the rule change.

As I said, risky.

How risky is your job,

Well, it's a little past midnight and I'm winding down here at the Hospital after being called in to evaluate a possible ectopic pregnancy. If I drive home right away, I'll just toss and turn in bed for an hour.

I made my diagnosis.

If I am wrong, the patient could bleed out tonight.

[Polybius]

Here I am, an M.D. preaching about Duty and Honor and the legal duty to report the incompetent SOB's, and everybody and their pet hamster is making excuses about why it can't possibly work!

Don't sit here and say that BS. It is manifest BS. I had a doctor rupture my left eye and I had to travel 600+ miles to get another doctor who would even give me an honest opinion and nearly 900 to get the subsequent cornea transplant. You are truly in denial if you think there isn't a code.

So, let me get this straight. Here I am, an M.D. preaching about Duty and Honor and the legal duty to report the incompetent SOB's, and you are now giving me a ration of s***t because you came across an MD that did not have my standards?

If you read my other posts, you will find how I have pointed out that you, a private citizen, can file a confidential report with your State Licensing Board if you believe that you were the victim of malpractice. Yet, it seems that all you want to do is throw up your hands in utter helplessness and throw a Pity Party for yourself.

Just one more example on this thread of "everybody and their pet hamster making excuses about why it can't possibly work!"

[B4Ranch]

Polybius, I just said a prayer that your diagnosis was correct and your decision for treatment of your patient was the correct one.

I've too have been self employed and also been an employee during my life. Many times my decision could have been the final one for my employee or other men working with them. I know what you are going through.

I've done the 48 hour stints too. The hours of work come with the career choice. I've never been a masochist, just had that desire to do the task and do it to the best of my ability.

Some of us are more concerned with that than other folks are, but we chose our careers freely, didn't we? You don't charged $10 an hour to make those decisions that have serious repercussions on your patients so the stress is self inflicted, isn't it? I'm positive that you have consulted other doctors when you had doubts about your decisions and that other doctors have leaned on you for consultations. It comes with the job title.

If you were wrong last night, my sympathy won't be for you, just for the patient and their family. You invested many years of study to attain your title and you are hopefully being financially rewarded for that effort.

I don't hold doctors up on any higher platform than I would a common brake mechanic. Both of you can have serious consequences for the clients if you don't perform your duties properly.

Actually an aircraft mechanics job performance, in my view, carry much greater consequences than yours. They don't have the capability of stepping in to correct their miscalculations before the results become deadly for the entire passenger list. They have to rely on the capabilities of the pilot whom they have never met nor had any voice in the decision of whether he was qualified or not.

The standards of performance in every culture are set by the society, not by the worker.

When you meet patients who easily call you by your first name or Doc rather than Sir, or Doctor, quite likely you are meeting someone who thinks as I do.

Polybius and gas_dr,
Every patient of yours expects the very best you have to offer, we pay you fully for your efforts and pray it will be sufficient. If your work load is getting too heavy or perhaps a treatment requires consultations with other doctors, we depend upon you to recognize it and make those decisions for us. We expect you to make the determination that we should be directed to another qualified professional, not attempt to do a half calculated performance yourself.

I pray both of you have the personal integrity and the professional intelligence to always give your very best to your patients. Your credibility is seriously affected by doctors such as Jayant Patel.

When you suspect or recognize that a coworker is not performing to the highest standards of your profession we, the general public, expect you to report him to the examining board before a patient pays the price for your reluctance to be professional.

If you have been in your line of work for at least a decade, you will never convince me that you cannot, right now, name five names that should be reported to the examining board.

I have seen this reluctance to report a coworker in every professional line and I suspect that it is created by the fear that you too also may be reported. A warning from the examining board to a doctor or even just the confidential investigation itself results in higher standards to your profession that you should be proud of. Those higher standards are what will deem you worthy of higher respect.

My best regards to you both.

[B4Ranch]

>>All you have to do is document that Patient A had this or that done on such a date and a State investigator will be complicating that doctor's life for the next 6 months.<<

I hadn't been reading the thread when I posted #118, so I wasn't aware of the further debate concerning negligence and unprofessional conduct.

"a State investigator will be complicating that doctor's life "

Is this your opinion of what State investigators accomplish? Is there anything in your mind about the necessity to protect the public from negligence and unprofessional conduct.

[gas_dr]

It used to be one anesthesiologist for one surgery patient, not anymore

It really bothers me that you think you are an expert in all health issues. Just so you know, I am an MD Anesthesiologist in an all MD practice. I do my own cases, one anesthesiologist for one patient. I spent 2 nights on call last week one of which required an emergency heart procedure which involved anesthetizing a critically ill person.

I appreciate my colleagues defense of me. The truck driver analogy is so ignorant as to be insulting. After going to school 8 years post graduate, to hear you grandly presume that for every 100 doctors there are 60 mediocre and 39 bad ones borders in stupidity.

To directly respond to you question, I am a good doctor. I do not give scripts as I all drugs I administer are personally administered by me. As a transplant and cardiac anesthesiologist, I take great expection to your remarks. I think you are dangerously ignorant of the medical profession. And one other thing, my 20 partners, of whom you assume all are crappy doctors, I would let anyone of them put my wife or daughter to sleep.