But a couple of months ago I got the call that all physicians dread.
A fellow doctor called me, irate, saying, “You missed something!”
My heart dropped and I waited to hear what I had overlooked or misdiagnosed. The OB-GYN went on. “I delivered a baby girl yesterday with a cleft lip and palate. You did not mention it in your fetal ultrasound report and the parents are extremely upset.”
I quickly reviewed the images and explained that the defect was not apparent, probably due to the early age of the fetus. I also added helpfully that cleft repairs were easy and the results excellent and that I was sure the parents would quickly feel better when they heard that from the plastic surgeon.
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