DALLAS (WBAP/KLIF News) — Surgeons aren’t held accountable enough for their cases, according to an expert. Plano neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch will spend the rest of his life in prison for gross malpractice. Some of his cases caused paralysis and even deaths. While Duntsch was found guilty for intentionally hurting his patients, unintentional harm happens all the time. Dr. Lawrence Schlachter is a neurosurgeon and an attorney in Atlanta who now handles medical malpractice suits. He says after a plane crash, the NTSB will investigate but there is no type of similar investigation done after a patient dies on the operating table. Dr. Schlachter says hospitals will even take steps to cover up a doctor’s error in what they call “deny and defend.” He claims a system needs to be put into place to put patients’ well-being ahead of doctors’ reputations. According to Dr. Schlachter, 250,000 Americans die every year as a result of medical mistakes.
Dr. Lawrence Schlachter authored the book, “Malpractice: A Neurosurgeon Reveals How Our Healthcare System Puts Patients at Risk”
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