The nature of surgical error: a cautionary tale and a call to reason

Area of Science:

• Surgical safety and error analysis
• Medical human factors

Background:

• Patient safety and error management are critical in surgery.
• Current focus on systemic errors, termed "the new look," may overshadow individual surgeon accountability.
• A balanced perspective is needed to address all facets of surgical errors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To re-evaluate the approach to surgical errors.
• To redefine errors within the surgical community context.
• To balance the understanding of systemic versus personal responsibility for surgical errors.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of current literature on surgical errors and patient safety.
• Conceptual redefinition of surgical error types.
• Discussion of systemic and individual accountability in surgical practice.

Main Results:

• The "new look" emphasizes systemic errors, potentially neglecting the surgeon's direct role.
• The "coface error" refers to errors directly committed by the surgeon.
• A balanced perspective requires acknowledging both systemic and individual contributions to surgical errors.

Conclusions:

• A nuanced approach to surgical errors is necessary.
• Redefining errors within the surgical community can foster a more balanced perspective.
• Integrating systemic and personal responsibility is key to improving patient safety in surgery.