Melbourne University Associate Professor of anaesthetics Dr David Canty reprimanded for leaving patient on operating table to take a Zoom meeting

An associate professor of anaesthesiology at Melbourne University left a child asleep on the operating table so he could take a half-hour Zoom meeting about his teaching commitments.

Associate Professor of anaesthesiology Dr David Canty has been formally reprimanded by the medical regulator for leaving a patient asleep on the operating table while he took a 30 minute zoon call about his teaching job. Picture: Supplied

An associate professor of anaesthesiology at Melbourne University left a child asleep on the operating table so he could take a half-hour Zoom meeting about his teaching commitments.

Prof David Canty has been formally reprimanded, with the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal issuing a “warning” to other anaesthetists who don’t properly supervise their patients while they are asleep.

Prof Canty, who juggles work as an anaesthetist as well as teaching and research at Melbourne University, left a dental surgery patient asleep under general anaesthetic for “no less than 30 minutes” to take the conference call “in his role as an academic supervisor”.

In written reasons published on Monday, the tribunal described Prof Canty’s conduct as “entirely outside the standards to be accepted of any anaesthetist, not to mention one who had been practising as a specialist for around 15 years at the time he treated the patient”.

Associate Professor of anaesthesiology Dr David Canty has been formally reprimanded by the medical regulator. Picture: Supplied

Prof Canty’s misconduct only came to light because of an anonymous notification sent to the medical regulator, the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency.

When confronted, Prof Canty wrote to investigators saying “the incident which is the subject of this notification is not representative of my usual practice and the events that transpired represented a severe lapse in judgment”.

Only a nurse and the dentist were in the theatre while Prof Canty took his meeting in a nearby tea room.

Prof Canty said he had hoped to take the Zoom call in the operating theatre, with headphones on “as to not distract others” and said he spent most of the meeting looking into the theatre through a window on the operating room door.

“I do understand that these are not mitigating factors and that I should have remained directly with (the patient) for the entirety of the procedure as is expected of me …

“I felt guilty about my actions, with these feeling being more prominent of late (after being reported).”

The Tribunal hearing into Dr Canty’s misconduct, also held over Zoom, took more than four years to convene.

Associate Professor of anaesthesiology Dr David Canty said he “felt guilty” for leaving a patient improperly supervised on the operating table. Picture: Supplied

Professional guidelines state an anaesthetist may only leave a patient in “exceptional” circumstances.

In a written decision, a panel of three tribunal members, Anna Dea, Dr Peter McNeill and Dr Robyn Mason laid down “loud and clear warning” for anaesthetists working in surgical theatres.

“In case Dr Canty or others think otherwise, an anaesthetist should not be using their smartphone, laptop, the internet or taking mobile phone calls while caring for a patient, unless that use is directly related to and necessary for that patient’s care or is required due to an emergency with another patient,” the members said.