I just want to post my last thoughts, to be sure that a few things are clear.
There was no abandonment by the two neurosurgeons.
1: That the patient came to have surgery on a day when Dr. Bolognese requested an emergency leave was a scheduling mistake by the hospital. 2: Standard OR safety protocol was not followed. No patient is to be put under anesthesia if the surgeon is not present or available. 3: Dr. Milhorat did not have consent to operate. He could do nothing. 4: The hospital is smearing the reputation of these 2 doctors to protect its own public image and hide its own negligence.
Clearly, the investigation is ongoing, so the facts are difficult to obtain. But all of these things should be evident.
There was no wrongdoing on the part of the doctors. The only thing Dr. Bolognese could have done was spoken directly to the patient about his emergency leave. However, he had a family crisis going on, so he probably had many other things on his mind.
Keep in mind that the surgery did happen 3 weeks later, and the patient is already feeling much better! She still trusted her doctors to open her head. She was just hurt by the situation, which is understandable.
THE BEST NEWS: Dr. Bolognese has been reinstated!!! He will be back to saving lives on Monday. Hope has been restored for many across the world. It is so sad that both doctors' reputations were smeared in this ridiculous media circus. It is even sadder that Dr. Milhorat had to retire under a cloud of suspicion. However, he was planning on stepping down from his operating responsibilities this year, anyway. More importantly, his research with The Chiari Institute will continue, probably for the rest of his life. He has dedicated his professional life to exposing this disease and learning all of its intricacies. He has changed so many lives.
Both of these doctors sacrifice most of their lives for their patients. Most days, they perform two long and complex surgeries. Dr. Bolognese follows this up with consultations that last into the evening. He finds a way to make his rounds, visiting his post-op patients every day. Then, when he gets home, he responds to emails from his patients, sometimes into the early morning hours. Then, he sleeps a few hours and starts all over again. Both of these doctors have sacrificed time with their families and any type of private, relaxing, or fun life. Instead, they work. They work and work to find the answers that Chiari patients are desperately seeking. I thank them for their unfathomable dedication.
I hope not to inspire any rude comments from people who disagree with my thoughts. I certainly do not wish to offend anyone. But I do understand that this is a very sensitive topic for some. Nonetheless, I will simply delete any such comments before they are even published.
