As a one time cook in several local resturants, I can assure you that his arrogant additude is the way the majority of chefs are. It must be in their DNA.
That being said. I thought I understood that he found a doctor willing to do the surgery last, if it were still needed. Which is not unlike what my doctors did. Every single one of my doctors adv. me that doing the surgery first meant cutting away too much valuable tissue. That surgery in my case should be used to "mop" up what the chemo and rads left behind.