Tragic Oversight in Surgery: The Bart Writer Case

Background of the Incident

On February 3, 2023, Bart Writer, a 56-year-old man, underwent a routine cataract surgery at InSight Surgery Center in Lone Tree, Colorado. This seemingly straightforward procedure turned into a tragedy when Bart went into cardiac arrest during surgery, ultimately leading to his untimely death. The incident raised several questions about the protocols followed by medical professionals and the shocking distractions that surfaced in the operating room.

The Allegations

Following the tragedy, Bart Writer’s widow, Chris Writer, filed a lawsuit alleging extreme negligence on the part of the surgical team. According to the lawsuit, the surgeons—Dr. Carl Stark Johnson and anesthesiologist Dr. Michael Urban—were allegedly distracted by a game of "music bingo" during the surgery. This game, as described in court documents, involved listening to music from the ’70s and ’80s while marking off band names on bingo cards. The suit claims that their distraction contributed to a failure to monitor Bart’s vital signs, resulting in a fatal oversight.

Chris Writer’s emotional testimony reveals the depth of her loss. “My son is without his best friend. I am without Bart, my guy,” she shared, expressing her feelings of anger and sadness. The tragic reality is that a simple game might have contributed to a catastrophic error in care.

Distracted Medical Professionals

The lawsuit portrays a shocking scenario where medical professionals engaged in recreational distraction while a patient’s life hung in the balance. Bart’s surgery was claimed to have coincided with rounds of music bingo, where songs would correspond to letters, making for a light-hearted activity. Dr. Johnson has performed over 25,000 cataract surgeries, yet he indicated that he relied on Dr. Urban to monitor critical indicators absent from his view.

In a statement, Johnson confessed, “I know that he wasn’t paying attention to the vital signs and doing his job.” Urban, now practicing in Oregon with an expired medical license in Colorado, asserts he acted appropriately during the surgery and disputes Johnson’s depiction of the events.

Medical Monitoring Failures

The lawsuit reveals alarming details about the monitoring of Bart’s vital signs. According to court documents, alarms meant to indicate critical changes in patient status had been silenced without informing the surgical team. This omission proved catastrophic; Bart’s vital signs went unnoticed until it was far too late. After 11 minutes into the procedure, staff recognized abnormal readings, but by then, Bart had already suffered severe consequences, necessitating an emergency transfer to Sky Ridge Medical Center, just a mile and a half away.

An autopsy later determined cardiac arrest caused by oxygen deprivation as the primary cause of death, labeling the incident a tragic accident. The family learned of the bingo distraction from a different doctor, not involved in Bart’s surgery, highlighting lapses in communication within the surgical team.

Personal Impact and Aftermath

Chris Writer was advised that she didn’t need to stay during the short procedure. While running errands, she received a devastating phone call from Dr. Johnson, who requested to meet her in the parking lot. The emotional weight of his words, asking if she believed in God before revealing Bart’s fate, is a chilling testament to the gravity of the situation.

Reflecting on her loss, Chris shared precious moments she had with Bart, emphasizing the shock of losing someone she described as having a knack for making friends with everyone. Her heartbreak was palpable, and she expressed frustration over the apparent negligence in the operating room.

Legal Outcomes

The lawsuit has since been settled for an undisclosed amount, but the emotional toll remains evident for the Writer family. Chris continues to grapple with profound sadness and anger over what she perceives as a neglect of duty among the medical professionals involved. She comments, “Maybe they do so many of these surgeries that it just becomes so routine.” This sentiment encapsulates a broader concern about patient care in a medical system possibly too reliant on familiarity.

Bart Writer’s tragic story serves as a somber reminder of the fundamental duty of care that lies at the heart of medical practice—where distraction and negligence can lead to unimaginable consequences.