A surgeon at a Boston hospital is facing a hefty fine after he left the operating room to eat food in his vehicle before falling asleep and missing a procedure.
Dr. Tony Tannoury, 54, an orthopedic spine surgeon at the Boston Medical Center is facing a $5,000 penalty from Massachusetts health board officials after leaving the operating room before the start of an emergency ankle procedure in November 2016, a consent order said, according to The Boston Globe.
Tannoury admitted he had left the room to grab a bite to eat and then unexpectedly fell asleep, missing the procedure.
Tannoury left the operating room as the “patient was being prepped for surgery and before the surgery began, intending to get something to eat prior to performing the surgery,” the consent order said. After getting his food, he went to his car and “fell asleep in the vehicle,” the consent order continued.
In addition to the fine, the medical state board ruled that Tannoury would be required to complete “five continuing education credits” on the subject of professionalism and review the guidelines for supervising residents. The board also ruled that Tannoury, who was the scheduled attending surgeon that evening, had “engaged in conduct that undermines public confidence in the integrity of the medical profession,” according to the report.
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Prior to the board’s decision, Tannoury faced a written warning from BMC stating that he had violated the healthcare facilities policy about supervising residents being present during operations, the consent order said.
A spokeswoman said the hospital had reported the incident to the board but did not give a time frame, according to the report.
Dr. James Rickert, president of the Society for Patient Centered Orthopedics, described the punishments as being a “proverbial slap on the wrist” for the doctor.
“I can’t believe that if that was a board composed mostly of patients that they wouldn’t have had a much harsher penalty,” Rickert said.
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The Washington Examiner reached out to the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine and BMC for a comment but did not immediately receive a response.
