General

B.C. surgeons told to cut the hockey talk in operating room

Reminder comes after patient’s complaint

Surgeons in B.C. have been reminded not to chat about hockey and other unrelated topics while at work in the operating room after a patient complained that a surgeon was bantering about a hockey game with nurses. According to Dr. Heidi Oetter of the province’s College of Physicians and Surgeons, the patient was awake during an eye surgery and worried that the surgeon’s “idle chatter” might lead to a mistake, although the surgery went over fine. As a result, the College issued a “gentle reminder.”

CBC News

Looking for more?

Get the Best of Maclean's sent straight to your inbox. Sign up for news, commentary and analysis.
  • By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.
FILED UNDER: