Dealing with Complications: Advice From a Mentor

In this episode, interventional radiologist Dr. David Ball and our host Dr. Aaron Fritts discuss the inevitability of unforeseen procedural complications, strategies to navigate patient and family communication, and lessons to take away from these experiences.

To start, Dr. Ball recognizes the difficulty involved with addressing complications that cause patient injury, damage to physician reputation, and financial consequences. He emphasizes that it is therapeutic to speak about these outcomes with trainees and colleagues for learning purposes.

Dr. Ball shares complications stories from his career and describes key takeaways from each. He describes the benefits of forming good relationships with patients and families prior to starting the case, performing a thorough check of all risk factors before the first puncture, and taking responsibility for complications that arise during the case. Finally, he discusses the balance between taking accountability for complications and being vulnerable to malpractice lawsuits.