Boston Surgeon Fined For Leaving Surgery To Eat Lunch In His Car

BOSTON — The head of spine surgery at Boston Medical Center is being reprimanded and fined by the Massachusetts' medical board after he admitted to skipping out on an emergency ankle surgery to eat lunch in his car, then fell asleep.

Dr. Tony Tannoury, 54, admitted to falling asleep in his car in Nov. 2o16, according to a consent order released Monday.

After Tannoury missed the surgery, a chief resident performed the operation, the Boston Globe reported.

By leaving the premises, Boston Medical Center said Tannoury violated hospital policy - which requires surgerons be present for critical parts of operations.

Federal law also requires surgeons at teaching hospitals to be present for the key part of a surgery in order to bill Medicare for the cost of the procedure.

When the incident first happened, BMC says they reported the matter to the medical board, but did not specify when, the Globe reported.

The state Board of Registration in Medicine said that Tannoury was the attending surgeon for trauma emergencies that night and he was the one who took the patient into the operating room.

Tannoury was told to complete five class credits in professionalism and review regulations for supervisors, while being fined $5,000, according to the board.

A year before the incident, The Boston Globe Spotlight Team reported on an issue that focused on a few orthopedic surgeons at Massachusetts General Hospital who worked two operations at once without informing patients. Tannoury's work had been discussed by BMC officials in regard to that investigation.

Patch reached out to Boston Medical Center for comment, but has not heard back.

For more information, read The Boston Globe.