In the entire perioperative stage, it is in the intraoperative phase that the surgeon takes complete charge. The surgeon is personally responsible for the client’s welfare during the operation, and is required to be in the operating room or within close vicinity for the entire surgical procedure.
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Modern surgical procedures are often viewed as a team effort; as such, surgeons, being the head of the surgical team, can assign roles to each member of the staff. Surgeons may delegate associates or residents to perform a small portion of the operation under direct supervision. It is important to note, however, that delegation does not denote a transfer of personal liability. If the resident or surgical assistant commits a litigable error, the surgeon takes full responsibility.
The surgeon is allowed to leave the operating room so long as the reason is procedure-related. These may include review of related pathology and diagnostic imaging, and a short dialogue with the patient’s family. However, the absence should be brief, and a qualified substitute must be assigned to stay with the patient during the entire duration of the surgeon’s absence.
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In some cases, surgeons must leave the operation prior to its completion due to unanticipated circumstances. If the absence is deemed to be protracted, qualified substitutes must be identified and should be present in the operating room before the surgeon leaves. Subsequently, the patient should be informed of the incident postoperatively.
If surgeons leave the operation for reasons which are deemed to be non-legitimate and unacceptable, healthcare executives such as Dan Bucsko and Kurt Weinmeister should be immediately informed to ensure patient safety and to profile a case in point in ensuing peer reviews.
As a captain takes charge of his crew to veer the ship toward
reaching its destination, so must a surgeon lead the entire team—everyone from
the assisting nurses to the anesthesiologist—toward surgical success and
patient recovery.
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