Recognizing Surgical Error Cases

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When you go in for surgery, you trust your doctors and medical team to provide the best care possible. Unfortunately, surgical errors can lead to complications such as injury and death. With the help of an Evansville surgical error lawyer, you can receive compensation for these complications. According to the National Library of Medicine, the U.S. sees around 4,000 cases of surgical error every year. And if you’re fighting these cases alone, you’re reducing your chance of getting the fair compensation you deserve.

Most Common Surgical Errors

There are many different types of medical malpractice, and even within surgical errors, there are varying ways your treatment can be affected. Working with an Evansville surgical error lawyer can help you determine what the culprit was in your case and how you can seek compensation.

Retained Surgical Foreign Bodies

There is a lot of equipment and tools that go into performing surgery. And a foreign object being left in a patient’s body is more likely than you might think. Objects such as needles, sponges, and gauze can sometimes be missed during the cleanup and closure process. These items can cause serious complications in the patients during recovery.

Anesthesia Errors

Anesthesia is a wonderful medical device that has made surgery safer and more effective. But errors in the use of anesthesia can also lead to severe illness and often death. If the wrong dose is administered, a patient could rouse during surgery or have difficulty breathing. If someone doesn’t properly monitor the patient’s vitals during surgery, anesthesia could also cause long-term medical complications.

Illness

Surgery is meant to help you heal from a disease. But sometimes, unfortunately, surgical errors can lead to new or worsening conditions. Failure to properly sanitize equipment, practice safe surgery methods, or provide adequate care for recovery can all lead to new illnesses. Some of these illnesses can even agitate the original condition, leaving the patient worse off than before the surgery.

Wrong Surgical Site

Surgeons see many patients throughout the day, and they rely on adequate charting and notes to ensure everything is in place. However, errors in patient records or scheduling can lead to the wrong patient showing up for the wrong surgery. It’s reported that this surgical error happens at least 40 times a week in the U.S. Attempting to operate for a surgery that a patient doesn’t need can lead to further injury and death.

How an Evansville Surgical Error Lawyer Can Help

If you or someone you loved was injured or died during a surgical procedure, you could have a medical malpractice case. With the help of an Evansville surgical error lawyer, you can investigate the surgery and ensure all safety precautions were adequately followed. If there is a sign of a surgical error, you have the right to seek fair compensation for illness, injuries, and death.