Review of Closed Claim Cases (Anesthesia and Path), with Dr. Ben Hechler

Everyday Oral Surgery

One of the most important aspects of being a medical professional is reviewing your past cases (especially those involving complications) and studying public records of complications so that you are constantly improving the quality of care that you provide to your patients. To help us further explore this topic, we are joined once again by the Medical Director of Blue Cross, North Carolina, Dr. Ben Hechler. Our first case is about a middle-aged male who experienced laryngospasms after receiving anaesthesia and ultimately, passed away. Dr. Ben hones in on the main learning points from this case including the safety of sedation, common ailments that are often overlooked, and how he would treat laryngospasms. After briefly touching on the importance of being aware of EMS response times in your area, we get into our second case regarding a patient who received a $2.7 million settlement after being negligently operated on for an arterio-venous malformation (AVM). Dr. Ben describes the clinical findings that are common to AVM and how he would treat it, what you can do when you have a clash of professional opinions with your colleague, other AVM scenarios to consider, and reiterating why you should always document your rationale and perform reviews of your own cases. Plus, if you are a new OMS graduate, be sure to speak to your KLS Martin representative for some amazing once-off specials!

Key Points From This Episode:

• A warm welcome back to Dr. Ben Hechler as Dr. Stucki explains the importance of case reviews.
• Diving straight into the first case study of a middle-aged male who spasmed after induction.
• The main learning points (and medical reminders) from our first case, according to Dr. Ben.
• Discussing issues of safety regarding sedation, anesthesia, and general drug administration.
• Our guest explains what can be done to mitigate safety concerns before surgery.
• Why obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and hypertension are often overlooked.
• How Dr. Ben treats laryngospasms, and what to keep in mind when dealing with the issue.
• Why it’s always good to know the average EMS response time in your area.
• Our second case is about an AVM patient who was negligently operated on.
• Dr. Ben explains what went wrong with the patient who eventually received a $2.7 million settlement.
• Clinical findings that you can expect from arterio-venous malformations (AVM).
• How he treats AVMs, and what you can do when there’s a clash of professional opinions.
• The difference between confirmed and suspected AVMs, and other scenarios to consider.
• Reiterating the importance of documenting your rationale and performing case reviews.
• If you are a fresh OMS graduate, speak to your KLS Martin rep for incredible once-off specials.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dr. Ben Hechler on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-hechler/

KLS Martin — https://www.klsmartin.com/en/

Everyday Oral Surgery Website — https://www.everydayoralsurgery.com/

Everyday Oral Surgery on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/everydayoralsurgery/

Everyday Oral Surgery on Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/EverydayOralSurgery/

Dr. Grant Stucki Email — [e-mail]

Dr. Grant Stucki Phone — 720-441-6059