Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40432873›Full record

ArticleJournal of the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America2025

How Surgeons and Surgical Leaders Manage Complications, Medical Errors, Malpractice, and Second Victim Syndrome.

Peter M Waters, David R DeMaso, James J Horgan, Steven L Frick

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Handling Risky Situations, Especially the Unexpected, With Elite Performance.Journal of the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Peter M WatersAtrium Health - OrthoCarolina, Harvard and Wake Forest University Medical Schools, Charlotte, NC, USA.
David R DeMasoBoston Childrens Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
James J HorganBoston Childrens Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
Steven L FrickAtrium Health - OrthoCarolina, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Charlotte, NC, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Complications are inevitable for practicing surgeons, and when you lead surgeons, negative outcomes and consequences will result from some of their professional work. The implications of the undesired, unintended, or unexpected changes to a child's health due to surgical intervention can be either transient or permanent, ranging from minor to major, devastating, or even deadly adverse events. Just as surgeons strive to maximize their surgical knowledge and expertise before performing an operation, surgeons and their teams need to practice and learn how to improve their non-technical leadership and team performance skills. When an error occurs, surgeons and their teams need to resolve the complication as best as possible with their expertise, knowledge, and consultation(s) as needed. Leaders of surgeons and institutions need to support the patients, their families (first victims) and the surgeons and their care-giving teams (second victims) when a complication occurs. After a medical error, healthcare professionals should for their and the patient-parent(s) well-being: (1) acknowledge the error and its consequences; (2) take responsibility for the error; (3) express regret that the error occurred; (4) solve the problem as best as feasible with professional colleagues; and (5) strive to learn from this error and prevent such or related complication(s) from occurring to other patients in the future. There are partial and total apology (I'm sorry") laws in 38 states protecting expressions of sympathy (partial) and admissions of fault (total) from admissibility in court. Institutional CANDOR/CANDOUR requirements do exist respectively in the US and UK. Malpractice or negligence litigation is a real risk when complications occur but interestingly occurs most often when patients and their families feel abandoned and deceived. Ultimately, all involved need to heal and this includes the surgeons who experience second victim syndrome. Providing individual and institutional support is imperative and essential for patients, their families, and the health care professionals involved in a serious surgical complication or medical error. Only then can we all cope and continue on as our best selves.

Indexed as

MalpracticeMedical errorsSecond victim syndromeSurgical complicationsSurgical leadership

Identifiers

PMID40432873
PMCPMC12088224

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.