In 1994, Dr. Raymond Sattler, a neurosurgeon in Wilmington, left a patient on the operating table for 30 minutes with her brain exposed to go grab a snack. Sattler lost his medical license in November of that year, about two months after the incident; documents related to the suspension contained complaints that Sattler had during other operations instructed an untrained nurse to drill holes into a patient’s skull and had requested intravenous fluids for himself when he felt weak, among other things.

Sattler agreed to seek psychiatric help and, five months later, got his medical license back, but was unable to gain privileges at either of Wilmington’s two hospitals. According to Medical Board records, he is currently practicing child psychiatry in McLean, Va.

On www.vitals.com, a website where patients can grade their physicians, Sattler currently holds a 3.5-star rating, out of a possible four stars. He is rated “excellent” overall on punctuality, and “good” in a host of other criteria, including bedside manner, accurate diagnosis and follow-up.

User-contributed question by:

Stephen Clemmons

