According to a report by the American Medical Association, 98,000 people lose their lives each year to medical errors, most of which are surgical. This makes medical malpractice the eighth leading cause of death in America, killing more people than car accidents, breast cancer, and AIDS.
The term “surgical errors” includes errors that are made before, during, and after surgery, and can involve medical providers other than a surgeon, including the anesthesiologist, nurses, or other hospital staff members.
Read on to learn about the most common surgical errors, and what to do if you or a loved one are a victim of a surgical error, or any other form of medical malpractice and negligence.
Patient Consent Errors
Before a surgeon can perform a procedure, he has to obtain what is called “informed consent” from his or her patient. This process involves explaining in detail what the procedure entails, possible side effects and complications, and what the patient can expect after the procedure. The patient then signs a consent form, allowing the doctor to perform the surgery.
Many times, however, this process is sped through. Sometimes, doctors fail to mention the possible complications or side effects. Other cases involve the doctor explaining the procedure one way, but then performing it another. This can be very dangerous, as complications could easily arise if a certain plastic was supposed to be used, but a metal that the patient is allergic to was used instead. These consent errors are entirely too simple to avoid to be such a prevalent error.
Surgical Errors
These errors are generally caused my negligence in the operating room, but many times can be caused by the lack of qualifications of the surgeon. General surgeons very often perform procedures that may be best left for a specialist, and as a result, surgical errors occur. They do not need a board certifcation to perform these procedures, and a monetary motivation makes it easy to go ahead with these surgeries even without the proper qualifications.
Surgical Site Errors (Wrong Site Surgeries)
Unfortunately, wrong site surgeries are not something we’ve never heard of. All too often, patients go in for a surgery on the right side of their body, and wake up to find the procedure was performed on the left. This kind of mistake often results from lack of communication, poorly kept medical charts, and understaffing at hopsitals. When not enough doctors are dealing with a multitude of patients, mistakes like this happen.
Anesthesia Errors
These errors can be some of the most devastating. Most surgeries require either local or general anesthesia, and it can be administered by an anesthisiologist or an anesthesia nurse. Errors can arise when too much is injected, causing a drop in heart rate that lead to brain damage or death. In addition, if not enough is administered, a patient can be awake during a procedure! This can not only cause an unfathomable amount of pain, but can also effect a patient psychologically forever.
Infection
Infection is a huge risk when undergoing a procedure. Infection can be caused when instruments are not properly sterilized, or when doctors and or nurses do not effectively “scrub in.” Infection can also grow after a procedure if the patients’ wounds and incisions are not properly cleaned. The most dangerous infections a patient can develop are MRSA, or staph. These infections can quickly lead to death.
NJ and PA Medical Malpractice Attorneys at the Mininno Law Office
If you or a loved one have suffered the effects of surgical errors, negligence or medical malpractice in New Jersey or Philadelphia, you will need the assistance of an Medical Malpractice Attorney. Contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation or call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.
Don’t let negligent medical providers get away with their life altering mistakes. The team at the Mininno Law Office wants to work to earn you the compensation you deserve.