Doctor in mastectomy furor wants to operate
Written by on March 10th, 2010 in Latest News.
The Windsor, Ont., surgeon at the heart of a controversy over unnecessary mastectomies has questioned to have her hospital privileges reinstated.
Dr. Barbara Heartwell voluntarily withdrew from performing surgery at Hôtel-Dieu Grace Hospital in Windsor in late February after the hospital launched an investigation into Heartwell’s medical case history.
Hospital board chair Egidio Sovran says Heartwell changed her mind a few days later and wanted to continue operating.
Dr. Barbara Heartwell, shown here in October 2009, voluntarily withdrew from performing surgery in late February, but hospital officials said she changed her mind a few days later. (CBC)
That led the hospital to suspend Heartwell, effectively barring her from operating.
Board hearing Wednesday
The hospital’s board of directors has scheduled a hearing Wednesday evening to choose whether Heartwell should be allowed back in the operating room.
A panel of seven board members is expected to hear from both Heartwell and the hospital’s medical advisory committee.
‘Since you’re really grinding a professional’s practice to an immediate halt, the hospital act is set up in a way that there’s a timely response allowed.’—Dr. Art Kidd
Dr. Art Kidd, former chief of staff at Hôtel-Dieu Grace, said the hospital is required by law to deal with Heartwell’s request quickly.
“Since you’re really grinding a professional’s practice to an immediate halt, the hospital act is set up in a way that there’s a timely response allowed,” said Kidd.
Last week the hospital set up the medical advisory committee, or MAC, and it has come up with a recommendation for Wednesday’s hearing.
“The physician will be there. Both parties will have legal counsel and, as indicated, it will be a legally mandated review of the choice of the MAC by the board,” said Kidd.
“Remember, it’s the board that ultimately grants all privileges to physicians, whether it’s their first application, annual application or a special circumstance.”
The board will choose at the start of the meeting whether members of the public and the media will be allowed to attend.
Case prompts investigations
The controversy surrounding Heartwell started when a former patient, Laurie Johnston, went public with her tale of how she had a mastectomy at the hands of Heartwell in 2009, only to find out two weeks later she never had cancer.
Johnston is suing Heartwell, the hospital and Dr. Olive Williams, the pathologist whose report Heartwell misinterpreted, for $2.2 million.
Heartwell also removed the breast of Janice Laporte of Sarnia, Ont., in 2001. A report later revealed the woman did not need the mastectomy, as she did not have cancer.
In addition to Hôtel-Dieu Grace Hospital’s examination of Heartwell’s mastectomy files, the Ontario government and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario are also investigating.
The government probe includes a review of Windsor Regional Hospital and Leamington District Memorial Hospital.
The College of Physicians and Surgeons is also investigating Williams, the pathologist who provided services for all three hospitals. Hôtel-Dieu Grace suspended Williams on Jan. 4 and reported her to the college.
