Or perhaps doctors shouldn’t be branding their patients’ internal organs

[Zarathrustra]

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/dec/15/doctor-signed-patients-livers-law-courts

I wonder what other people in the theatre thought when they saw him do that?

It would take guts to speak up and challenge him. Did someone blow the whistle?

I feel sorry for other surgeons who are like Captain's dad. This idiot has tainted a very worthwhile profession and he has abused his power and privilege. He deserves to lose his job and I sincerely hope that he does.

It's almost as though some people approve of sociopathic behaviour in a surgeon. Like they're some kid of mavericks who don't need to be held to the same standards. Reminds me of the ultra religious who are in thrall to their priest/rabbi/vicar. They can do no wrong.

If some one was to tatoo you with out consent... they'd be out on assault charges

Just because young and see it doesn't mean they havnt scared your body

It'd make me question he's whole practise

Totally wrong.

The author suggests that his colleague reported him because he'd upset them rather than that they thought it was a totally reprehensible thing to do. I suspect he's right about that. Surgeons generally close ranks when one of them is in trouble unless they've really gone out of their way to make enemies.

Considering some of the behaviour I've witnessed from surgeons over the years, getting in trouble for this is fairly surprising in some ways. I would hazard a guess that this was possibly a convenient excuse/straw that broke the camel's back.

Considering some of the behaviour I've witnessed from surgeons over the years,

like what? Obviously be vague and change details if necessary.

I'm a vet so have seen a fair few livers on the operating table in my time. I wouldn't dream of doing this to a patient. What's more, the liver has a massive blood supply. Any unnecessary damage to it, no matter how slight, carries some risk of haemorrhage, therefore: even if you're doing it with a cautery unit there's a small chance you could cause trouble. Absolutely awful. Writing on a person without consent is something we usually associate with concentration camps, not operating theatres. I put microchips in my patients all the time, but that is at least partly for their benefit in case of becoming lost or theft. If I did this to a dog I'd get struck off the register, and rightly so. I don't see why a human surgeon should be held to a lower standard.

The guy has lost his job - insofar as he resigned back in 2014.

It’s wrong and he should not work in the field again but I’m not convinced it constitutes gbh.

Assult to most of us means being beaten up.
In the medical industry it also means treatment given without consent.

You can't deny that just because the event in question seems to some a teeny detail.

And when people donate their bodies or their organs they do so to save a life, allow surgeons and Drs to practice and to get better and develope their research to help others.

They don't donate to be treated so disrespectfully. They are giving the most amazing gift a person ever can and deserve the utmost respect and decency. Every last part of them.

Any abuse of a person's body whether they are dead or alive should be considered an assult.

I agree with the assault charge, it's damage to the person's body beyond what is necessary for the operation or what they consented to and all damage comes with risks. When a patient is on the operating table they are completely helpless and vulnerable and trust the surgeon to act in their best interests, not use them like a prop in a practical joke. He betrayed that trust. People are saying but he saved the patient's life but I don't think that entitles him to get away with treating them this way, plenty of surgeons would save the patient's life because that is their job and not graffiti them.

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe: As he works in a local hospital, it’s likely I do know people who have been or will be operated on him. Given my recent surgical history, I could easily have ended up with him. A friend was due to have him operate on them and feels exactly the same as me - if he does the surgery well then we don’t care. My friend did say she’d like a photo of it as a souvenir if he did it to her.

I realise lots don’t agree but I’m far more concerned about the surgeons botching operations, people dying because they weren’t diagnosed quickly enough and babies dying during childbirth as a result of negligence to name a few. He should be disciplined but I don’t think it warrants all the outrage as it’s not a biggy in the grand scheme of things.

And what if it went wrong?

How would you feel while your dp or child was dying he was fucking about signing his name?

It wouldn’t bother me if he’d saved my life, however that doesn’t mean it’s right.

It’s interesting that a PP mentioned Lavinia Woodward, I don’t understand how she will be allowed to continue studying I medicine after being convicted of stabbing her boyfriend. Surely she should also lose her possible career?

He resigned 3 years ago!

Well He11y I think you're not able to be objective and maybe even a little bit 'starstruck'? Your feelings are your own, of course, but your admiration makes me shudder.

What he did is an abject abuse of his position and he's been caught. Who knows what went through his mind to make this seem like a good idea. It wasn't but he felt entitled to do it. He knows better now. He should have known better then given that it's insane to make any kind of unwarranted damage to a body part as surgery is risky in itself. Patients accept the risk of surgery - they didn't agree to this.

Better that surgery is left to people who don't think they need to 'autograph' their work with stupidity.

... and if he hadn't been caught there is every probability that he would still be doing this - because he feels entitled to do it. I hope he has been removed by the Medical Council.

There will always be a range of opinions on a subject like this.
I have a friend who was operated on by this surgeon - he says that he doesn't care if there's a Shakespeare sonnet somewhere inside him - the operation saved his life...
I'm not sure that I'd feel the same, but as I've never been in my friend's position - who knows..?

I think it's very easy to say that you are alive and grateful and you wouldn't care if the entire works of Shakespeare was branded in your organs.

I've no doubt that those who have been in this life threatening situations do honestjy feel any price is worth it.

But as Amazing as surgery is it carries risks. Huge risks. Haemorrhage, infection, allergic reactions, complications why

Any time spent branding names is time under anaesthetic when they could have been stitching you up and waking you up.

It's easy to be "ok with it" when you are lucky enough to be ok after it.

People cab crash out of no where, you would hope a surgeon would not waste time or do anything unnecessary.

I've discussed this with friends today and been totally shocked at their responses. They see no problem with what he did. They are operating theatre staff!

I had a hard time for saying I disagreed and think the previous posters likening him to cult gurus or whatever whose followers blindly believe and are in awe of him is pretty accurate.

Their responses were along the lines of: he saves lives, so what about this silly misdemeanour. He gets to work early, he's talented, his patients don't care-they'd prefer his initials on heir organ to RIP on their headstones.

So I suspect there is a culture of this and it's been normalised. Or like another previous poster said he's (and surgeons more generally) are terrifying and no one would dare speak out.

I suggested that if this is what surgeons want to do, they should get consent. I was told that the consent process is robust enough. I couldn't believe my ears!

And like I say, these are people that work in operating theatres and hospitals.

I've had what turned out to be life-saving surgery. Would I have been happy to learn that while unconscious and therefore totally vulnerable, the group of people there to care for me and ensure my survival stood around laughing and joking or turning a blind eye while someone branded me like a cow? Would I fuckery.
This shit is so wrong and I can't believe those saying they wouldn't care.
The extra minutes those patients were anaesthetised while he bloody tagged them were minutes they didn't need to be. Minutes where they could have been in recovery.
Now any of his past patients will be wondering were they branded too.
What an insult to say it doesn't matter.

Their responses were along the lines of: he saves lives, so what about this silly misdemeanour. He gets to work early, he's talented, his patients don't care-they'd prefer his initials on heir organ to RIP on their headstones

That's just shocking. :(

Surgery saves lives yes. But in transplant cases someone didn't live. Some one died. Maybe horrifically, most likely too bloody soon. They deserve better than that.

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe: Never met the man and apparently he’s an arrogant prick so I can assure you I’m not star struck! lol I’m not afraid to put any doctor in their place if they are rude or dismissive, ask the last GP who was rude to me!

I just don’t see this as such a big problem. It had to be done anyway and he didn’t do the op badly, it’s just the pattern he used that’s the problem. I realise a lot do see it as outrageous and you can’t understand why anyone would disagree but don’t look for explanations that aren’t there - it’s just a difference of opinion, simple as.

BTW to whoever said he resigned 3 years ago - he may have from that hospital but I can assure you he’s been working in different hospitals since then! As far as I know he still is.