A disturbing incident of medical misconduct came to light when a Virginia man discovered his surgical team mockingly insulting him while he was unconscious during a routine colonoscopy procedure, leading to a successful lawsuit.
According to The Washington Post, the patient, identified only as “D.B.,” had left his smartphone recording to capture post-procedure instructions but instead documented a series of unprofessional comments and behaviors by his medical team.
The recording, made in 2013, captured anesthesiologist Tiffany M. Ingham making several derogatory remarks about the patient. According to the recorded evidence, she was heard saying:
“After five minutes of talking to you in pre-op, I wanted to punch you in the face and man you up a little bit.”
The situation worsened when the medical team noticed a rash on the patient’s genitals. According to the recording, Ingham warned a medical assistant about potentially getting “some syphilis on your arm or something” and later joked about “tuberculosis in the penis” and “penis Ebola.”
Dr. J.P. Abenstein, President of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), told CBS News that the incident was “very disappointing” and violated both American Medical Association and ASA guidelines.
“It’s a prime example of behaviors that any anesthesiologist should absolutely not engage in at any time,” he stated.
The legal defense attempted to challenge the recording’s legality, but as reported by The Washington Post, Virginia’s “one-party consent state” laws made the evidence admissible, as only one party needs to be aware of the recording.
The jury ultimately ruled in favor of the patient, ordering Ingham and her practice to pay $500,000 in damages for defamation and medical malpractice.
Editor’s Note: This incident is fully verified through court records, The Washington Post’s original reporting, and CBS News coverage. The events occurred in 2013, with the lawsuit verdict delivered in 2015.