Chainsaw accident survivor finds hope and purpose with Solventum

On October 22, 2022, Doug Bartlett went into his garage to cut some firewood before a gathering with friends around his fire pit. He picked up an electric chainsaw and forgot the battery was still inside. As he removed the blade guard, the tool accidentally turned on.

"Just reaching for the chainsaw in the garage, I fired it off with my other hand and kind of shredded my hand in the process,” Doug explained. 

A couple years later, Doug accepted a leadership role at Solventum and now serves as president of infection prevention and surgical solutions. Many of the products he now oversees are the same ones that helped him recover. 

His harrowing ordeal gives him a deeply personal connection to our mission of enabling better, smarter, safer healthcare to improve lives. 

The immediate aftermath of the injury

Doug came around the corner of his garage holding his injured hand. His wife, Jen, immediately rushed him to a local emergency room. Medical staff quickly realized the severity of the situation and transferred him to another hospital with a specialized trauma center.

The damage was extensive. "I severed the veins, arteries and nerves in all four of my fingers," Doug recalls. "I severed the tendons in three out of the four. My wedding ring saved another tendon."

A top hand surgeon spent five to six hours using microscopes to reassemble his hand. The team managed to save his fingers and begin the long process of healing.

An unexpected battle with infection 

The physical recovery proved grueling. After weeks of hand therapy, Doug seemed to be improving. He made great progress until a severe setback occurred around the holidays.

"It was all sort of on the upswing," Doug says. "And then, you know, come Christmas time, I get the infection."

A dangerous bloodstream infection took hold. Jen remembers the fear and uncertainty of those days. 

"Now he had this outrageous infection coursing through his body that they couldn't get a handle on," she says. "So that began a multi month process of recovery." 

The infection spiraled out of control. Doug spent weeks fighting two deadly pathogens. He required a PICC line and multiple rounds of powerful antibiotics. He spent 41 nights in total in the hospital.

Recognizing the products that saved his life 

During those long nights in the intensive care unit, Doug looked around his room. He recognized the equipment and supplies keeping him alive. When he joined Solventum, he realized that the products he now champions are the exact same ones that aided his recovery.

"I had a lot of really good equipment and products that were around me," Doug says. "I had a 3M™ Tegaderm™ CHG [ IV Securement Dressing] on my PICC line."

The medical team also used 3M™ SoluPrep™ S sterile antiseptic solution to help manage bacterial load, which can potentially increase infection risk, during his surgical procedures. 

Doug approaches his current role with a deep sense of personal responsibility and respect for the products that helped him heal. "It gives me a lot of comfort and a lot of pride," he says.

A renewed purpose at Solventum 

Doug eventually recovered enough to return to the activities he loves. He enjoys cooking with Jen, playing with his dog and spending quiet moments with his family.

"I didn't think I could appreciate my family more than I did," Doug reflects. "And boy, was I wrong."

His ordeal reshaped his worldview and his career. Working at Solventum serves as a daily reminder of the lives improved by high quality medical supplies. He knows firsthand that every product his team supports can make a difference for a patient in need.