Fessing Up

A rare mea culpa, especially in the era of malpractice lawsuits against doctors.

From The Boston Globe...

Instead of an operation to relieve a problem with his patient’s left ring finger, Dr. David Ring performed a carpal tunnel syndrome procedure. It wasn’t until he was back in his office dictating a report on the surgery that he realized his mistake.

The Massachusetts General Hospital doctor immediately apologized to the woman and won her consent to return to the operating room and do the intended repair.

The case, which took place about two years ago, did not end there. In an unusual display of openness, Ring disclosed the medical missteps in this week’s New England Journal of Medicine, one of the most widely read medical journals in the world, aiming to remind colleagues to strictly adhere to safety procedures.