The fear of malpractice suits pervades medicine and grabs headlines because a malpractice suit is more than a possible claim on your assets. Even if a suit is successfully defended, you can still pay an emotional price: embarrassment, depression, and self-doubt. Why go there if you don’t have to. But how can you avoid going there? Which advice is helpful, and which is just the perpetuation of malpractice mythology? A few myths shared among surgeons are examined below.
