Over the past 12 years, anesthesiologist Scott Reuben revolutionized the way physicians provide pain relief to patients undergoing orthopedic surgery for everything from torn ligaments to worn-out hips. Now, the profession is in shambles after an investigation revealed that at least 21 of Reuben's papers were pure fiction, and that the pain drugs he touted in them may have slowed postoperative healing. "We are talking about millions of patients worldwide, where postoperative pain management has been affected by the research findings of Dr.
Reuben," says Steven Shafer, editor in chief of the journal Anesthesia & Analgesia, which published 10 of Reuben's fraudulent papers. On investigations it was found that Reuben was a member of Pfizer's speaker's bureau and received five independent research grants from the company. Reuben, 50, has been stripped of his research and educational duties…
