When We Do Harm - a true story

[Diane F]

April 1, 1998 I went into Tucson Medical Center for a routine hip replacement (right hip) a little after 9 am in the morning. Little did I know that a few hours later I would wake up with no hip replacement and asking the nurse what happened was told my heart stopped and they coded me! I had already had my left hip replaced 4 months previously with no problems so this was a puzzle. I thought maybe they turned me hard? I was told the surgeon (who semi-retired after this event! Dr Melvin Roberts) turned white as a ghost, jumped on top of me and gave me chest compressions! Nada! Using the electric paddles did nothing also. Finally the anesthesiologist gave me a shot of epinephrine and something else and my heart started up again! A nurse who had been in the operating room told me until the chemical injections the other things would not have helped. My heart had slowed down for 2 mins then stopped for 2 mins. After an angiogam, stress test, and other tests my heart checked out fine! In the hospital the anesthesiologist who was the nicest man you could ask for came to check on me to make sure I was all right. After I got home and looked at everything (tests, etc.) I concluded during intubation the anesthesiologist had accidentally touched on my vagus nerve which caused the slowing of my heart and stoppage. I can only be happy I did not have a DNR in effect! I doubt what I came up with as the cause of my heart stopping is on record but personally people make mistakes and I do not hold him at fault; he was the one to figure I needed the shots to bring me back while others were doing chest compressions and shock paddles to no avail. Mistakes DO happen and doctors are human just like the rest of us. As for me, I was always in the Lord's Hands and I guess that is why I don't hold anything against doctors who are only human. As long as they try to do their best that is all we CAN ask of them - mistakes and all. Oh and the surgeon, Dr. Roberts? When he went to his office his secretary asked how the operation went... uh, fine except the patient died! Come on, doctor, April Fool's? Nope! and people wonder why I just MIGHT be a BIT superstitious.... :) (kind of ironic that in 15 minutes it will be April 1, 2020 :) )

[Sue]

Thanks for starting a discussion about this book. This book has been translated into Chinese as well, titled " 当医疗出错时：一位医生的痛与思"... ISBN:9787544794787 ( edition in Chinese ).