HELENA, MT—As the chief of surgery at St. Peter's Health, Dr. Robert Eggerton, 68, has acquired several perks in his work.
Not only does the UCLA-educated doctor have an excellent reserved parking space available, a corner office, and a private restroom attached, but he also holds special privileges in the operating room.
"Every now and then," he explained "I like to bring a little something home to Chester and Sabrina [his American Eskimo dogs]."
The surgeon stated that he keeps a box of quart sized baggies in the operating room in the event of "any leftovers," by which he means remaining cuts of body parts from his patients.
Although he acknowledges that the practice is unconventional, and often strikes others as odd, he stands by it. "Oh come on. It's not like they're going to need it back," he stated.
Dr. Eggerton made clear that he never feeds his pets any parts that would be potentially hazardous to them, and that he always thoroughly inspects them to be sure there are no bone fragments or anything too fatty. "Got to keep my babies healthy, right? Otherwise, what kind of doctor would I be?" queried the twice married surgeon.
Patients of Dr. Eggerton are often initially shocked when they discover what the surgeon did with their parts following the operations, as patient Bridger Petty related.
"When I came to, I just took a few minutes to take stock of myself, and how I felt an' all," he said of his procedure in February to remove his appendix. "They treated me really good and all, and then when they were about to release me, I asked, just curious, what they did with my appendix. I figured she was just pulling my leg!"
Petty was reportedly more grossed out than angry, but then the nurse showed him that it was on the form he had signed before surgery. "'Well shut my mouth,' I said. There it was. 'I understand that anything not still attached to my body after the completion of the operation may be fed to the surgeon's dogs, or stored in his freezer until such a time that would be convenient to feed to his dogs.' I must've missed that when I signed."
Dr. Eggerton is happy to discuss his practice with any patients who complain. He explains how such tissues would be discarded anyway, and shows the patients photos of his dogs. "After a few stories about how they wag their little tails when they see me waving around that baggie as I walk through the door, they [the patients] understand," he said.
"Yeah, I guess it's okay by me," concluded Petty. "I mean, there's that old adage, 'waste not, want not.' I suppose at least somebody could enjoy my appendix, even if I couldn't."