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For some, going to the doctor is already a nightmare. So going through an experience like the one this man went through would be traumatic beyond words.
A thirty-four year old man went into surgery to remove his tonsils at a hospital in Sydney, Australia.
However, the anesthesiologist on staff forgot to turn on the anesthesia. As a result, the man felt everything.
The patient was given a neuromuscular block, so he couldn’t move from the chair. Because he couldn’t move, or speak due to the doctors’ hands in his mouth, he couldn’t alert anyone to what he was feeling.
In fact, hospital staff only noticed when they saw the patient twitching and saw his blood pressure rising.
The anesthesiologist, Dr. Bing-Lin Yin, admitted to “multi-tasking” during the operation. He claimed to be simultaneously working on the patient’s charts, writing notes, and even once checking his phone.
A case was filed against the doctor. The investigation reads as follows:
“Patient A was aware during most of a surgical procedure, which caused him not only significant discomfort but also emotional and psychological distress.”
The doctor, having admitted to forgetting to turn the vaporizer on, acknowledged that his behavior was “unprofessional,” and apologized for his conduct. But of course, that’s not enough for the situation.
The Professional Standard’s Committee found that this mistake was “serious,” and found him guilty of unsatisfactory professional conduct. He was ordered to participate in mentoring, and to attend a course in anesthesia safety.
This is not Dr. Yin’s first mistake. In 2011, he gave the wrong blood to a patient. In another case the same year, he made a mistake during a cesarean section.
He practices in several Sydney hospitals, including Mater Hospital, Mona Vale Hospital, and Sydney Adventist Hospital.
