THIS
THIS IS
THIS IS THE STORY OF A WOMAN WHO SAID SHE PAID THE PRICE.
>> I AM OK+@AY.
>> Reporter: IMAGINE+@ YOU +@GO
FOR SURGERY.
FOR SURGERY. YOU ARE ON THE OPERATING TABLE.
THE ANESTHESIA STARTS FLOWING.
EVERYTHING BEGINS TO FADE AND
YOU ARE OUT.
THIS IS VERY DIFFICULT.
WHY SHARE YOUR STORY?
>> IT HAS BEEN THE WORST YEAR
OF MY LIFE.
I AM DISFIGURED.
I FEEL MUTILATED.
>+@> Reporter: NEXT, SOMETHING
YOU DID NOT EXPECT.
A HANDFUL OF RESIDENT TRAINEES
PUT ON+@ GLOVES AND ENTER THE
OP+@ERATING ROOM.
OP+@ERATING ROOM. >> I FEEL LIKE I DID EVERYTHING
RIGHT. AND RESEARCHING AND
VETTING THIS DR. AND YET, THIS
IS HOW IT TURNED OUT FOR ME.
>> Reporter: DO YOU FEEL LIKE A
GUINEA PIG?
GUINEA PIG? >> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. ABSOLUTELY.
ABSOLUTELY. >> Reporter: IT IS COLD GOES TO
SURGERY.
SURGERY.
SURGERY. >> GHOST SURGERY IS WHEN THE
SURGEON CUTTING INTO YOU IS +@N
ACTUALLY THE PERSON YOU THOUGHT
WAS GOING TO BE DOING THE
SURGERY.
SURGERY.
SURGERY. >> Reporter: THIS DR. IS A
NATIONAL EXPERT ON PUBLIC
HEALTH.
HEALTH.
HEALTH. HE SAYS GHOST SURGERY IS COMMON
IN HOSPITALS AFFILIATED WITH
MEDICAL SCHOOLS.
MEDICAL SCHOOLS. >> THIS IS A NATIONWIDE ISSUE.
IF YOU WALK INTO A TEACHING
HOSPITAL, ODDS ARE NOT ONLY ARE
YOU NOT GOING TO HAVE THE
SURGEON YOU THOUGHT WAS GOING
TO DO IT, IT IS GOING TO BE A
SURGEON IN TRAINING, A RESIDENT
ACTUALLY DOING THE SURGERY AND
THE SURGEON YOU THOUGHT WOULD
DO IT, MAY NOT EVEN BE IN +@THE
ROOM.
ROOM.
ROOM. >>
ROOM. >> Reporter: AND OFTEN THE O+@N
WAY PATIENTS FIND OUT IS IF
SOMETHING GOES WRONG.
WHEN CATHERINE WEBER LEARNED
SHE WAS AT HIGH RISK FOR BREAST
CANCER EARLIER THIS YEAR, SHE
CHOSE TO HAVE A BREAST
RE+@DUCTION.
RE+@DUCTION. SHE SELECTED A DOUBLE BOARD
CERTIFIED SURGEON AT THE
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS
SOUTHWESTERN.
SOUTHWESTERN. BUT THE SURGERY DID NOT GO AS
EXPECTED.
EXPECTED.
EXPECTED. +@
EXPECTED. >> THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE.
>> Reporter: SHE SAID HER
MEDICAL FILE MAY EXPLAIN WHY.
RECORDS SHOW HER DR.,
SUPERVISED THE OPERATION.
AND TWO RESIDENTS IN TRAINING
ARE LISTED AS BEING ASSISTANT
SURGEONS.
SURGEONS.
SURGEONS. >> WHO ARE THE+@SE PEOPLE?
>> Reporter: HERE IS OF THIS
WORKS.
WORKS.
WORKS. RESIDENCY TRAINING CAN LEGALLY
PE+@RFORM SURGERY. BUT ONLY IF
THE SURGEONS SUPERVISES AND THE
PATIENT GIVES THE WRITTEN
PERMISSION.
PERMISSION. IT IS +@CO+@LD INFORMED CONSENT
THE HOSPITAL SAID WEBER GAVE
INFORMED CONSENT AND
TECHNICALLY THAT IS TRUE.
+@
+@ SHE
+@ SHE SIGNED A THREE-PAGE FORM.
LOOK CLOSELY AND YOU CAN SEE.
THIS ONE SENTENCE SAYS,
RESIDENTS MAY PERFORM PORTIONS
OF THE SURGICAL PROCEDURE.
BUT WEBER ADMITS SHE DID NOT
READ EVERYTHING.
READ EVERYTHING. SHE SAID THE FIRST TIME SHE WAS
GIVEN THE FORMS, WAS WHILE ON A
GURNEY, MINUTES BEFORE SURGERY.
>> THAT IS SO TYPICAL.
THEY DO IT THAT WAY TO RAILROAD
YOU IN.
YOU IN.
YOU IN. TH+@EY KNOW YOU WILL NOT BE
+@READING ANYTHING.
+@READING ANYTHING. YOU ARE A NO MENTAL STATE +@TO
GOING THROUGH IT.
>> Reporter: THE AMERICAN
COLLEGE OF SURGEONS SAYS
INFORMED CONSENT IS NOT JUST A
SIGNED DOCUM+@ENT.
SIGNED DOCUM+@ENT. BUT RATHER A D+@ISCUSSION
CONDUCTED BY THE SURGEON ABOUT
WHO WILL PARTICIPATE AND THE
RESPECTIVE ROLES.
RESPECTIVE ROLES. SO HE NEVER WANTS HAD ANY SORT
OF VERBAL CONVERSATION WITH YOU
IMPLYING THAT MEDICA+@L STUDENT
WILL BE INVOLVED?
>> ABSOLUTELY NOT.
>> Reporter: SHE COMPLAINED TO
THE STATE MEDICAL BOARD WHICH
DETERMINED THE DOCTORS TREATMENT
WAS CONSISTENT WITH ESTABLISHED
PRACTICES.
PRACTICES. +@
PRACTICES. THE HOSPITAL WOULD NOT TALK TO
US ON CAMERA ABOUT THE PROTOCOL.
BUT THEY SENT US AN EMAIL
SAYING+@, ACADEMIC MEDICAL
CENTERS AND TEACHING HOSPITALS
EDUCATE THE NEXT GENERATION OF
PHYSICIANS. THE ATTENDING
SURGEON DETERMINES THE LEVEL OF
INVOLVEMENT OF RESID+@ENTS AND
THE SAFETY OF PATIENTS REMAINS
PARAMOUNT AT ALL TIMES.
BUT THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT SPANS
+@
BUT THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT SPANS BEYOND THIS.
BEYOND THIS. HOSPITAL RECORDS OBTAINED BY A
DALLAS LAW FIRM IN A 2007
WHISTLEBLOWER COMPLAINT OW
FRM20 NL 08 HR
WERE 11SRESAT PARKLAND
WHERE THE SURG+@EONS LEFT THE
OPERATING ROOM.
OPERATING ROOM. DURING THOSE 161 SUR+@GERIES, O
CALCULATIONS SHOW, RESIDENTS
WERE LEFT ALONE TO OPERATE ON
CALCULATIONS SHOW, RESIDENTS THE LEFT ALONE TO OPERATE ON
CALCULATIONS SHOW, RESIDENTS THE PAIN ALONE TO OPERATE ON
CALCULATIONS SHOW, RESIDENTS THE PAIN IHU NE TO OPERATE ON
CALCULATIONS SHOW, RESIDENTS THE PAIN IHU ANY O OPERATE ON
SUPERVISION, 83% OF THE TIME.
AND IN 18% OF THE SURGERIES,
THE LEAD SURG+@EON NEVER EVEN
SH+@OWED+@ UP.
SH+@OWED+@ UP. AGAIN, YOU WOULD NEVER KNOW IT.
YOU ARE ON THE OPERATING TABLE,
OUT COLD.
OUT COLD.
OUT COLD. A FORMER HEAD SURGEON SAID, HE
KNOWS OF CASES WHERE SURGEONS
WERE NOT EVEN IN