No doubt, surgeons and surgical aids are among the most competent medical practitioners countrywide. They undergo highly advanced training to ensure they perform successful surgeries and provide appropriate care to patients.
However, medical malpractice may occur when a surgeon makes errors or fails to provide proper treatment during and after surgery. The surgical errors could be unintentional or out of negligence. Whatever the case, a licensed medical malpractice attorney can help review your situation and determine if you have a valid compensation claim.
Here are a few ways surgical errors could be medical malpractice:
- Surgery on the wrong patient: A mix-up of medical records or unusual time pressures to complete a procedure can lead to unnecessary surgery on the wrong patient.
- Surgery on the incorrect site: Wrong-site surgery occurs when a surgeon operates the wrong body part. This error is common when multiple surgeons are performing the procedure on the same patient.
- Foreign object left in the body: This medical error may occur when a surgeon or surgical staff leave a scalpel, dressing, or sponge inside a patient they are operating on.
- Nerve or organ damage: A surgeon may accidentally prick a nerve or nick a patient’s organ, subsequently damaging it.
- Surgical wound infection: Surgical equipment must be sterilized before any operation. Using unsanitary and unsterilized medical equipment may lead to an infection.
It’s worth mentioning that not all surgical mistakes are medical malpractice. The error must fall below the healthcare community’s applicable standard of care and cause harm to classify it as medical malpractice.
The applicable standard of care is the same throughout the country. It refers to the care a medic with the same training and experience would provide when facing a similar situation. In most medical malpractice lawsuits, a healthcare expert would have to testify to determine the level of care and how the surgeon or surgical staff applied it during the procedure.
Factors That Contribute to Surgical Errors
The risk of surgical errors increases due to the following factors:
Inexperience
Surgical treatments require highly trained and experienced healthcare providers to complete the procedure successfully. Insufficient skills can increase the risk of mistakes.
Inadequate preparation
Surgical treatment requires sufficient planning before entering the operating theater. The surgical staff must sterilize all instruments and equipment and make them available to the surgeon to prevent delays. Mistakes can happen if the surgeons and their aids are not adequately ready to perform the surgery.
Poor communication
The surgeon must have the correct information about the patient before the surgery. Poor communication or lack of it may lead to complications or medical allergies.
Multiple procedures
Performing several procedures in a single surgical session may lead to wrong-site surgery. In addition, the surgeon may experience fatigue after performing multiple surgeries in one day, subsequently increasing the risk of making mistakes.
Drug and alcohol use
Drug or alcohol dependence problems in some surgeons or their staff could affect the level of care provided and lead to medical malpractice.
Possible Health Problems from Surgical Errors
Surgical mistakes might lead to severe complications and life-threatening health problems. Possible complications as a result of surgical errors include:
- Nerve damage
- Permanent scarring
- Disability
- Disfigurement
- Infection
- Sepsis or septicemia
- Organ damage
- Internal bleeding
Filing a Medical Malpractice Claim
You might be able to file a claim for compensation if your surgeon was negligent during a procedure. The full extent of damages that can be compensated as a result of medical malpractice include:
- Ongoing physiotherapy and rehabilitation
- Residential care
- Corrective surgeries
- Home or vehicle modifications
- Loss of wages
- Loss of earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Prescription medication
Contact a Medical Malpractice Attorney Today
Filing a successful medical malpractice claim can sometimes be challenging since you have to prove the surgeon was at fault. But with the help of an experienced medical malpractice attorney, the process can be less stressful.
Call us today. Our experienced lawyers will help you file a claim and receive your rightful compensation.
