topic Re: Performing Surgery While Attending Court in Community Chat

Performing Surgery While Attending Court

Marp — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 00:06:25 GMT

California doctor performs surgery while appearing at video traffic court appointment

The world of videoconferencing and remote work has taken strange turns during the pandemic, with the foibles of faulty technology — or the simply bizarre — on view.

The image of “Lawyer Cat,” the Texas lawyer who found himself transformed into a virtual kitten in front of a judge when he could not shut off his Zoom filter, became a viral sensation a few weeks ago.

Now add to the annals the Case of the Distracted Doc.

A Northern California plastic surgeon who showed up for his traffic trial Thursday afternoon via videoconference surprised a Sacramento judge by going live from his operating room.

Amid the whirs and bleeps of medical machinery, the sounds of suction and the bright glow of surgical lamps, Scott Green appeared before Sacramento Superior Court Commissioner Gary Link’s virtual courtroom at Carol Miller Justice Center, donning his surgical scrubs, ready to proceed, the patient undergoing the procedure just out of view.

“Hello, Mr. Green? Are you available for trial?” asked a courtroom clerk. “It kind of looks like you’re in an operating room right now?”

“I am, sir,” Green replied. “Yes, I’m in an operating room right now. I’m available for trial. Go right ahead.”

Balance of article: miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/national/article249549993.html

Re: Performing Surgery While Attending Court

mizree — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 00:11:52 GMT

@Marp I would not want to be the patient if case did not turn out in doc's favor.

Re: Performing Surgery While Attending Court

Zernia Rose — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 00:16:55 GMT

This is a terrible decision on the part of the doctor. He could not attend to the needs of his patient while also engaging with the commisioner. At the very least, he should be sanctioned by the medical board and/or his medical facility for doing so. The patient could have suffered harm, injury, or death. The arrogance of the doctor is astounding.

Re: Performing Surgery While Attending Court

Marp — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 00:19:44 GMT

@Zernia Rose wrote:
This is a terrible decision on the part of the doctor. He could not attend to the needs of his patient while also engaging with the commisioner. At the very least, he should be sanctioned by the medical board and/or his medical facility for doing so. The patient could have suffered harm, injury, or death. The arrogance of the doctor is astounding.

IMO not only the doctor but every member of the surgical team. They are complicit by not stopping Green,

Re: Performing Surgery While Attending Court

godi — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 00:19:54 GMT

Yikes I'm so glad I wasn't the patient.

Re: Performing Surgery While Attending Court

LuvmyLab — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 00:22:49 GMT

Performng surgery while representing yourself in court via video. Talk about being distracted!

Re: Performing Surgery While Attending Court

Lali1 — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 00:23:45 GMT

One word -Lawsuit!

Re: Performing Surgery While Attending Court

ValuSkr — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 00:30:54 GMT

Is the video on YouTube? I'd like to see it.

Re: Performing Surgery While Attending Court

Mindy D — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 06:48:53 GMT

I don't understand why the doctor just couldn't ask if he can be called back. I briefly skimmed an article about this. I'll have to reread. Maybe surgery had not started yet.

UPDATE

OK, I checked. The plastic surgeon went ahead because although he was in the operating room and there was a surgery in process the doctor was not operatng at the time. A second doctor was leading the operation at the time of the call. The doctor explained this to the Superior Court Commisioner, Gary Link. Link had asked about a postponement and stated that he was uncomfortable with a doctor attending zoom court while in mid surgery. That's when the doctor explained that he was not operating. The judge said that would not be "appropriate" and postponed the trial.

Re: Performing Surgery While Attending Court

Yahooey — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 00:33:06 GMT

this scenario seems very bizarre - was the doctor doing this for show?

I'm a very important doctor donnig his gown with machines whirring

if it was real ... holy cracker!

Re: Performing Surgery While Attending Court

Porcelain — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 00:42:06 GMT

I think that would undermine any argument he might be trying to make that he's a focused person capable of prudent judgement and driving undistracted.

Re: Performing Surgery While Attending Court

happycat — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 00:59:30 GMT

Just another example of a doctor with a God complex. I hope the patient is happy with the results. I wouldn't be happy.

Re: Performing Surgery While Attending Court

skatting44 — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 01:06:45 GMT

Arrogant .... I worked with a few Surgeons that had arrogant personalities but this takes the cake. Employment & Legal consequences should ensue .

Re: Performing Surgery While Attending Court

Marp — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 01:09:49 GMT

@Mindy D wrote:
I don't understand why the doctor just couldn't ask if he can be called back. I briefly skimmed an article about this. I'll have to reread. Maybe surgery had not started yet.

UPDATE

OK, I checked. The plastic surgeon went ahead because although he was in the operating room and there was a surgery in process the doctor was not operatng at the time. A second doctor was leading the operation at the time of the call. The doctor explained this to the Superior Court Commisioner Gary Link. Link had asked about a postponement and stated that he was uncomfortable with a doctor attending zoom court while in mid surgery. That's when the doctor explained that he was not operating. The judge said that would not be "appropriate" and postponed the trial.

"I have another surgeon right here who’s doing the surgery with me, so I can stand here and allow them to do the surgery also," Green replied.
Despite Green's reassurance that the court was free to proceed, Link ended the hearing, citing the welfare of the patient.
"I don’t think so. I don’t think that’s appropriate," Link commented, noting that they would come up with a different date for when Green is "not actively involved or participating and attending to the needs of a patient."
Green apologized for the incident, saying surgery timing doesn't always go as planned.

@Mindy D, I think you misunderstood who was doing what. Green was, at least in part, performing surgery.

From the article: Green wasn’t fazed as, head down, he continued his work, but Link wasn’t amused even as the commissioner tried to absorb what he was seeing on his monitor.

“I have another surgeon right here who’s doing the surgery with me, so I can stand here and allow them to do the surgery also,” Green said.

Re: Performing Surgery While Attending Court

Marp — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 01:12:58 GMT

@Yahooey wrote:
this scenario seems very bizarre - was the doctor doing this for show?
I'm a very important doctor donnig his gown with machines whirring

if it was real ... holy cracker!

@Yahooey, there is a video of the court proceeding embedded in the article. The URL for the article is: miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/national/article249549993.html

Re: Performing Surgery While Attending Court

Lindsays Grandma — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 01:37:41 GMT

@Zernia Rose ...I agree with you 100%. As a matter of fact my first reaction was he should lose his license.

Re: Performing Surgery While Attending Court

MarieIG — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 01:47:04 GMT

The Judge did the right thing - refusing to proceed.

Re: Performing Surgery While Attending Court

Catty2 — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 02:25:05 GMT

That doctor must have a really big ego. Glad the judge shot him down. Ridiculous!

Re: Performing Surgery While Attending Court

Venezia — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 03:44:18 GMT

I saw this on the news tonight and, if I was the patient, I'd be filing a malpractice lawsuit to get the doctor's license pulled. WTH did he think he was doing?

It seemed he was doing it just to show contempt for the trial, so he should be cited for contempt of court, too.

If he's that good a doctor, don't tell me he couldn't arrange his schedule around the court appearance. What an arrogant jerk. Clearly, he wasn't too worried about his patient.

Re: Performing Surgery While Attending Court

jellyBEAN — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 03:55:46 GMT

OK, so he's available to do his video court date while in an operating room, yet has someone else available to do the surgery, so I assume he's not getting paid then? Ha!!! He'll take his fat paycheck home regardless. What an AH. He shoud be suspended or fined heavily for neglecting his patient who was most likely assuming he would be performing the surgery. Infuriating.