When Docs Cover Up Surgical Errors

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Okay, I was rather appalled this week when a surgical patient was receiving 10 units of blood, 4 FFP's, ambumin, coded and then went back to the OR. All of this because....the surgeon cut through the aorta during a routine procedure. Yes, these things happen and I know surgeons are not above making errors, there are risks involved with every surgery, blah, blah, blah. The point is that the surgeons at my hospital didn't tell the patient or the family that an artery was unintentionally severed. Instead they say there was some uncontrolled bleeding during the prodedure...which leads the family to think the gall bladder being removed from the duct was where the bleeding occurred. When actually the sever was in a different location.

The nurses are not to mention the severed aorta to the patient or family and unless they request medical records, they will never know.

About a year ago a resident accidently placed a dialysis catheter in the carotid artery instead of the subclavian causing a huge internal bleed that almost occluded the patient's airway. This too was hush hush. Sheesh! Nurses can administer one medication two hours late and lose their jobs for it but docs get to cover up their errors. What is up with that?!?

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They're infallible gods, remember?

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They're infallible gods, remember?

:bow: We're not worthy! We're not worthy!

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:bow: We're not worthy! We're not worthy!

*snort* You actually thought we were?? We're lucky that surgeons even consider us part of the human race!

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Specializes in previously Med/Surg; now Nursery.
Sheesh! Nurses can administer one medication two hours late and lose their jobs for it but docs get to cover up their errors. What is up with that?!?

:angryfire It makes my blood boil to think about it!

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Specializes in Emergency room, med/surg, UR/CSR.
*snort* You actually thought we were?? We're lucky that surgeons even consider us part of the human race!

*double snort* I think that goes for all docs. I've met very few that think that nurses are anything short of thier personal servants and secretaries.

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Q. What's the difference between God and a doctor?

A. God knows he's not a doctor.

The worst part of that is that I can severely alter a pt quality of life. To have a simple procdure and end up back in the OR and then I guess in ICU for a couple of days.

Doesnt basic anatomy tell you that the heart and gall bladder arent that close, how could something like that happen? What happened to the doc? I hope there was something said even if by hospital adminstrators.

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Q. What's the difference between God and a doctor?

A. God knows he's not a doctor.

The worst part of that is that I can severely alter a pt quality of life. To have a simple procdure and end up back in the OR and then I guess in ICU for a couple of days.

Doesnt basic anatomy tell you that the heart and gall bladder arent that close, how could something like that happen? What happened to the doc? I hope there was something said even if by hospital adminstrators.

Well, they are close enough I guess. Actually, these things tend to happen more often than you would guess especially when a surgeon is not skilled in laparoscopy and they cut an artery. I'm guessing they cut the abdominal aorta here. I think that it is unethical to keep this a secret and could influence a jury if this comes to court. Isn't it better to say sorry, this is a risk of surgery blah blah ?

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Doesnt basic anatomy tell you that the heart and gall bladder arent that close, how could something like that happen? What happened to the doc? I hope there was something said even if by hospital adminstrators.

The hospital's quality team is now investigating and has since made the MD notify the patient. Through the grapevine, I've heard the doc was pretty angry about being "forced to discuss the details of the hemorrage when it was already mentioned pre-surgically that there would be a risk of bleeding."

?!? I would have liked to be a fly on the wall to see the doc squirm a little bit. How about just admitting to your error without being "forced" and not demanding that the nurses cover up your mistake? Please just give up an ounce of accountability once in a blue moon. Sheesh.....

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i would be very upset if my surgeon messed up and then covered up

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Specializes in Psych, Med/Surg, LTC.

We admit to our pts if we accidentally give them the wrong pills, right? If not, we are in deep doo-doo. I would think cutting an artery is a little more serious than someone getting the wrong multivitamin (one of my med-errors that I owned up to) .... I would not be happy. If that pt. needs future surgery or has a different medical condition in the future that could cause a potential problem if no one was to know about it. Or what if the pt was d/c'd home and then feeling dizzy,weak and fainting and had no idea that they may have a small bleed going on in there?

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My residents do that ALL the time on different levels. More appropriately, has anyone known of a doctor who volunteers this kind of info to the pt?

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