No matter where the line is, "branding a patient's liver" is clearly on the wrong side of it. I agree that the appropriate response is not "branding" the guy in

No matter where the line is, "branding a patient's liver" is clearly on the wrong side of it. I agree that the appropriate response is not "branding" the guy in return, by making sure his name is so tarnished that he'll never get a proper job again, but there has to be a strong reaction to what he's done. If he just gets a slap on the wrist he's probably tempted to do something similar again (since there seems to be some urge inside of him that made him do it in the first place).