It seems almost every month I hear more plastic surgeons being sued for malpractice or botched surgeries. Many of these make it into the news. As I was thinking about this the other day, I started wondering why this is–and what my fellow plastic surgeons can do about it.
I want to be clear about this point: Most accredited plastic surgeons are reputable doctors and good at what they do. Furthermore, even among the group who have been sued, most of these have won those lawsuits precisely because they are competent professionals who did nothing wrong. So why all the lawsuits? And what can these surgeons do about it?
I’m convinced that in some cases, it has nothing to do with the quality of the surgeons’ work and a lot to do with their personalities and the way in which they interact with their patients. If a patient does not like you, she is much more likely to perceive “wrong” practices than if she does like you.
I suggest that you as a surgeon pay close attention to the patients you agree to operate on. Never agree to perform surgery on a person who doesn’t seem like she’d be a good candidate. Even if the potential is there for a lot of money, if you perceive there to be some emotional imbalance or a lack of a ‘connection’ between you and the patient, you ought to consider declining that assignment.
My second suggestion is that you pay as much attention to learning the proper traits of a good “bedside manner” as you do to learning the latest surgical technique. Watch doctors who interact well with their patients. Talk to them about what they do to make that connection. For that matter, consider attending personal relationship seminars on interacting with others.
And one last bit of advice: Make it a goal to make your patient intimately aware of every facet of what will happen to her during her operation. You could even quiz her on it to make sure she understands. And then ask her if she is agreeable to everything you’ve said. A patient who has been consulted in this way is less likely to find fault where there is none.
These are suggestions to help you avoid a frivolous suit by an unreasonable patient. As for avoiding legitimate suits, where you are at fault, there I’m afraid you’re on your own.
