Surgery is invasive and can subject patients to long and often painful periods of recovery. Medical professionals often avoid surgical treatments for their patients if less risky or invasive options exist. However, when surgery is necessary, it is important that hospitals and medical teams do whatever they can to minimize the risks.
When hospitals and medical workers make preventable mistakes during surgeries, patients can end up paying with their money, health or lives. Some common surgical errors include:
- Operating on the wrong side of the body
- Leaving items behind in the body after surgery
- Performing the wrong procedure
- Errors with anesthesia
These errors and others can serve as grounds for medical malpractice claims.
Protecting patients from surgical errors
There are many potentially dangerous surgical practices, including having multiple surgeons working on a single patient, having poor communication between patients and doctors and medical teams, and the failure of hospitals to adopt the Universal Protocol, a system of communication, verification, and preparation to help prevent surgical mistakes.
The facts of a surgical error case will guide its processing through the legal system. Before initiating a medical malpractice claim based on a surgical error, a victim will want to speak with a trusted medical malpractice attorney.