Modern surgical procedures have dramatically improved the lives of many people. While the incidences of injury as a result of surgical malpractice have diminished,surgeons still make mistakes. When they do, you have a right to pursue compensation for their negligence or carelessness.
When you are looking for an attorney to help you pursue compensation for the careless or negligent acts of a doctor, nurse or other medical caregiver, it’s important that you hire an attorney with significant recent experience handling medical malpractice claims. The standards of care for physicians are constantly changing, as are the rules governing the filing of a medical malpractice lawsuit. If your attorney has handled personal injury claims, but has no experience with medical malpractice lawsuits, they may be unaware of the procedures, and what could potentially be a valid claim may be lost.
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The Common Types of Surgical Mistakes
The most frequent types of errors made during the surgical process include:
- Perforation of or nicks to other internal organs—If proper care is not taken during a surgical procedure, the surgical tool can perforate or puncture another internal organ, such as the spleen or the bladder. In some circumstances, because of the proximity of the organ to the focal point of the surgery, such an outcome is nearly unavoidable. However, surgeons and support staff must pay close attention and
monitor patients carefully to determine whether other organs have been inadvertently nicked or injured. - Operating on the wrong body part—If proper procedures are not put in place or followed, surgeons can operate on the wrong arm, leg or other body part.
- Performing the wrong surgery or operating on the wrong person—Charts may be misread or patients may be mixed up, leading to disastrous consequences.
- Failing to conduct necessary surgery—During a routine operation, a surgeon or supporting staff may ignore clear signs that additional surgery is required.
- Leaving a surgical tool or implement in a body cavity—In the haste to complete a surgical procedure, surgeons may leave a sponge or other surgical tool inside a patient.
