Plastic Surgery Resources

Jul 07, 2026, Becker's ASC Review
The Biggest Driver of This Specialty’s Malpractice Claims
A July analysis by The Doctors Company, examining 1,968 closed malpractice claims between 2010 and 2023, highlights the most common contributing factors behind plastic surgery-related lawsuits.

Jul 06, 2026, Insurance Business
Plastic Surgery Claims Study Flags Clinical Judgment as Costliest Malpractice Driver
A study by The Doctors Company of nearly 2,000 closed plastic surgery claims reveals a counterintuitive gap between claim frequency and financial exposure.

Jul 02, 2026
Plastic Surgery Claims: July Malpractice Risk Review
Understanding malpractice risk in plastic surgery requires examining both how patient harm occurs and why negligence allegations arise.

Jun 09, 2026
Plastic Surgery: Answers to Frequently Asked Patient Safety Questions to Reduce Your Risk
Kathleen Stillwell, MPA, MHSA, RN, Senior Patient Safety Risk Manager, The Doctors Company
Our experts answer questions from plastic surgeons, addressing issues such as patient selection and managing patient expectations.

Jun 01, 2026, Plastic Surgery News: On Legal Grounds
Cybersecurity for Healthcare: Strategies to Mitigate the Risks
Healthcare organizations can reduce cybersecurity and liability risks by proactively strengthening defenses, training staff, managing third-party vendor exposure, evaluating insurance coverage, and preparing for emerging threats such as AI-driven cyberattacks and data privacy breaches.

Mar 06, 2026
Gastric Point-of-Care Ultrasound: A Modern Approach to Managing Perioperative Aspiration Risk
Anahi Perlas, MD, FRCPC, Professor of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Toronto
Gastric point-of-care ultrasound allows clinicians to visualize the stomach’s antrum in real time in order to preoperatively assess gastric content and pulmonary aspiration risk.
From The Doctor’s Advocate

Sep 09, 2025
Patient Safety Strategies for Dermatology
Kathleen Stillwell, MPA, HSA, RN, Senior Patient Safety Risk Manager, The Doctors Company
Take steps to reduce risks in dermatology by reviewing your practices and systems and implementing these strategies.

Sep 05, 2025
An Updated Approach to Perioperative Management of Patients Undergoing Noncardiac Surgery: Cleared for Take-Off?
Jeffrey T. Kuvin, MD, Chair, Department of Cardiology, Northwell Health
The new guideline for evaluating surgical patients for cardiovascular risk promotes a multidisciplinary approach that can help improve patient outcomes.
From The Doctor’s Advocate

Oct 21, 2024
Dispensing Sample Medications: Risk Management Strategies
Debra Kane Hill, MBA, RN, Senior Patient Safety Risk Manager, The Doctors Company, Part of TDC Group
If not carefully managed, sample medications can create issues that place patients and the practice at risk.

Feb 21, 2024
Identifying Malpractice Risks for Surgical Practices
Julie Brightwell, JD, RN, Director, Healthcare Systems Patient Safety, The Doctors Company, Part of TDC Group
Understanding that the causes of claims are multifactorial and rarely result from individual judgment or technical skill alone can help surgeons improve outcomes.

Jan 03, 2024
Liability Risks With On-Call Duties
Richard F. Cahill, JD, Vice President and Associate General Counsel, The Doctors Company
Our experts respond to questions about medical staff bylaws and on-call service requirements.

Oct 18, 2022
Moderate or Conscious Sedation in the Office Setting
Julie Brightwell, JD, RN, Director, Healthcare System Patient Safety, Department of Patient Safety and Risk Management
Prevent patient injury when providing moderate sedation in the office by incorporating these patient safety and practice improvement strategies.

Oct 28, 2021
Plastic Surgery Closed Claims Study
Jacqueline Ross, RN, PhD, Coding Director, Department of Patient Safety and Risk Management, and Susan Shepard, MSN, RN, Senior Director, Patient Safety Staff Education
This study of plastic surgery closed claims looks at the most common case types, most common patient injuries, and primary drivers / frequent allegations.

Aug 25, 2020
Distracting Devices in Healthcare: Malpractice Implications
Shelley Rizzo, MSN, CPHRM, Senior Patient Safety Risk Manager, The Doctors Company
Digital distraction in healthcare is a threat to patient safety and physician well-being.

Aug 27, 2019
EHR-Related Malpractice Risks and Tips
Darrell Ranum, JD, Vice President of Patient Safety and Risk Management
We analyzed 216 medical malpractice claims that closed from 2010 to 2018 in which EHRs contributed to patient injury.