Transparency in Medicine
Law isn’t the only profession that could use a healthy dose of transparency. The story of a Seattle girl who suffered a botched surgery illustrates why it’s important to give consumers easy access to information about doctors as well.
The Seattle PI reports that in 2005, Dr. Thomas Laney, then practicing in Seattle, performed a breast reduction on a girl who’s now eighteen. The girl was a student athlete and required the breast reduction for purely medical reasons. Dr. Laney allegedly mutilated her breasts so badly that the girl now cannot bring herself to share a bathroom or date.
As it turns out, the girl’s ordeal might have been prevented had she known more about her doctor. According to reports, Dr. Laney is an oral surgeon with no residency or fellowship in plastic surgery, he’s been sued for medical malpractice multiple times, and he’s been admonished by the state of Washington as well. State medical and dental boards also partially blamed him for the death of a man on whom he performed facial work.
Dr. Laney’s lawyer, Steve Fitzer, is arguing that all plastic surgery comes with risk, which the girl and her parents consented to. The girl’s parents contend their consent was not effective because they were not aware of Dr. Laney’s background.
Cases like this show the importance of empowering people to make informed decisions when hiring professionals. Maybe if this girl and her family had more access to breast reduction reviews, malpractice history and state disciplinary records, things would have turned out differently.
