30 Something Baby Doc

Last night was another call from hell. I slept from 10pm to 130am then all hell broke loose after that. One emergency after another. The night ended with a C-section at 6am . The cheif resident and the lower level resident scrubbed (gowned, gloved and operated) . I was off to the side observing. The latter is routine and helps develop autonomy among the residents, especially the cheifs who graduate and go out on there own in less that six months.

The C-section was going well, the baby was delivered and was doing fine. As the residents were suturing the incinsion made in the uterus, the patient began to bleed heavily from the right side of her uterus. The artery supplying the uterus had been lacerate while the baby was delivering. The patient's brother was medically inclined and had been closely observing the surgery. The resident's were trying to place an O'Leary stitch to help control the bleeding, but the were experiencing difficulty placing it correctly and the bleeding became heavier. I calmly instructed the residents on the correct technique and they were doing fine.

Suddenly the patient brother walks up to me and says," They ( The residents) don't know what they are doing and my sister is bleeding, you need to take over now and complete the surgery". (I've been in this situation dozens of time before, and I didn't see a need to intervene..I'm the first to step in if I believe it's over the residents head). I explained this the to patients brother, but he still seemed angry and upset. The residents quickly controlled the bleeding and completed the surgery. The patient did well.

Am I wrong for not complying to the brothers request? If the patient and family members want fully trained attending physicians primarily providing care, can you make the arguement that they should have never came to a teaching hospital in the first place?