Will Operating Room Cameras Stop Medical Malpractice?

A Wisconsin man who lost his sister to medical malpractice is pursuing a bill that would require cameras in operating rooms. Wade Ayer of Sheboygan, Wisconsin, lost his sister, Julie Ayer Rubenzer, in 2003. He and the family sued a Florida doctor for medical malpractice when they learned that the anesthesiologist at her breast implant procedure gave her an overdose of the anesthetic Propofol. Mr. Ayer maintains that the presence of cameras in operating rooms will allow those affected by medical malpractice to determine if and when a procedure goes wrong.

Medical Malpractice and Cameras

Mr. Ayer claims that cameras in the operating rooms will help families, attorneys and juries see if medical malpractice occurred during surgery. He said that “a family could call on the video for truth and transparency.” Observers have compared the idea of cameras in surgical theaters to the flight data recorders used in airplanes. Just as these “black boxes” can show whether a plane crash occurred due to mechanical failure or pilot error, the cameras can show if a patient was injured or died due to an adverse condition or because of medical malpractice.

Families Campaign for Medical Malpractice Bill

Mr. Ayer and his family have found allies in their pursuit of laws requiring cameras in operating rooms. State Representative Christine Sinicki and State Senator Nikiya Harris Dodd have introduced medical malpractice legislation calling for cameras to record surgical procedures. Rep. Sinicki named her measure after Julie Ayer Rubenzer. The bills only received a few co-sponsors and did not pass the most recent legislative session. Mr. Ayer claims that the purpose of the medical malpractice bill “is to kick off the conversation in this country” about cameras in operating rooms.

Doctors Fight Medical Malpractice Proposals

The medical malpractice bills encountered serious opposition in the Republican-controlled state legislature. Lobbyists from the Wisconsin Medical Society, the Wisconsin Hospital Association and the Columbia St. Mary’s hospital group came out against the medical malpractice proposals. The Wisconsin Hospital Association called the bills “ill-conceived legislation” and claimed that videotaping surgical procedures “could harm (the) relationship between patient and provider.”

Medical Malpractice and Propofol

The anesthetic that Mr. Ayer’s sister received has been tied to other medical malpractice cases. Anesthesiologists who administered Propofol were also involved in medical malpractice cases surrounding the deaths of Michael Jackson and Joan Rivers. Michael Jackson died in 2009 after receiving a lethal dose of Propofol from Dr. Conrad Murray, who was later tried for manslaughter. Joan Rivers died in January 2015 after getting a dose of Propofol during an endoscopic procedure.

Source: Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

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