A Seattle anesthesiologist was practicing more than medicine during his surgeries. Medical authorities in Washington have suspended the license of Dr. Arthur K. Zilberstein after he was allegedly caught sending dirty texts (yes, sexts) and selfies in the middle of operations.
On Monday, the state's Department of Health released a report detailing nearly 250 sexually explicit text messages it says he sent during medical procedures like epidurals and children's appendectomies. While he was performing a Cesarean on a patient, he reportedly sent 18 dirty texts, including a seemingly clean one that read "I'm hella busy with C sections."
Authorities allege Zilberstein's "preoccupation with sexual matters" endangered the safety of his patients, and until his charges are resolved, he won't be allowed to practice medicine in the state. He now has 20 days to respond to the charges and request a hearing.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.