Yeah I agree it needs to stop but you’re talking about UPMC. They’re looking for what makes the company the most money and keeping a skeleton crew will do that. It’s cheaper to pay one surgeon to do 5 surgeries at once and pay the residents below minimum wage. If something goes wrong they pay out a family and move on.

The attending covers the surgery and is responsible for the outcome of the patient but will oversee multiple surgeries at once, having their minions performing the surgeries. Often these are fellows or residents, etc. The problem is that the attending should come help during the main portion or hard part of the surgery and it seems Dr. Luketich wasn’t. A terrible practice but a common one nonetheless.