A Colorado woman has filed a lawsuit after her husband died during routine cataract surgery—allegedly while his doctors were distracted by a game of “music bingo.”
According to court documents, 56-year-old Bart Reiter died in February 2023 during a procedure at InSight Surgery Center in Lone Tree. His wife, Chris Reiter, was told she’d be contacted once the operation was finished. Instead, surgeon Dr. Carl Stark Johnson met her in the parking lot and asked if she believed in God before telling her her husband had died.
“It just didn’t make sense,” Chris told Atlanta News First. “Bart was 56. We skied every weekend, we hiked together, biked together.”
Medical staff noticed Bart’s vital signs were abnormal 11 minutes into surgery. He was rushed to a nearby hospital but did not survive.
Initially believing the incident was a tragic accident, Chris filed the lawsuit only after another physician raised red flags—specifically about Dr. Johnson and anesthesiologist Dr. Michael Urban. According to court testimony, the two doctors had a pattern of playing “music bingo” in the OR, a game where Dr. Urban played songs from his phone while others guessed the titles—allegedly causing serious distractions.
Depositions revealed that not only was the game played during Bart’s procedure, but Dr. Urban also silenced a vital monitoring alarm without telling the surgeon. That alarm might have alerted the team earlier to Reiter’s deteriorating condition.
Dr. Johnson’s attorney claimed the surgeon depended on the anesthesiologist to manage vital signs and communicate any serious issues, especially when alarms were manually disabled.
“Dr. Johnson relies on the anesthesiologist… to properly monitor the patient’s condition,” the attorney said.
While Dr. Johnson has defended his actions and pointed to Urban’s alleged negligence, he and his legal team ultimately reached a settlement with Reiter’s family for an undisclosed sum.
The case raises troubling questions about distraction, accountability, and medical oversight in operating rooms.
Katie is a senior who has been on staff for three years. Her favorite type of stories to write is reviews and features. Katie’s favorite ice cream flavor is strawberry.
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