By his count, Dr. Douglas A. Dorsay has performed nearly 2,000 angioplasties, a procedure where a surgeon threads a catheter through the bloodstream to clear blockages.

By state officials’ count, he did so flawlessly — until one morning in March 2006.

The Florida Board of Medicine disciplined Dorsay in August for his surgical error. He was one of six Southwest Florida doctors, and 73 statewide, with cases before the body in August.

What makes him different is that he is willing to talk about it.

The Sarasota vascular surgeon said he agreed to discuss his case in depth with the Herald-Tribune because both doctors and the public harbor misconceptions about medical errors.

“I’m not trying to hide from it,” Dorsay said. “All of us have made mistakes.”

State records show about 40,000 active, licensed physicians in Florida. Some 1,750 had at least one disciplinary action. Hundreds more have lost their licenses, given them up or moved out of state.

Experts say that countless more errors and near-misses never get reported to state medical boards. Doctors and hospitals worry that disclosing their errors will draw lawsuits and drive away patients — fears that are unfounded, some studies have found.
 

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