Surgeons and their assistants are arguably the most competent medical practitioners in the health industry. They go through extensive training to ensure they are skilled enough to perform complex surgeries to save the lives of their patients.
However, it is essential to note that surgeons can be held liable for medical malpractice if they make surgical errors that endanger a patient’s life.
Whether the errors are unintentional or due to negligence, a medical malpractice attorney can assess the circumstances around it to determine whether you are eligible for compensation.
Surgical errors that can be considered as malpractice include:
- Performing Surgery On a Wrong Patient
A surgeon may inadvertently perform unnecessary surgery on a wrong patient due to a mix-up of health records or pressure to conduct a surgery.
- Performing Surgery On The Wrong Body Part
Surgeons are known to conduct surgeries on a body part where no surgery was required. This often happens in situations where multiple surgeons perform surgery on a single patient.
- Leaving Foreign Objects Inside a Patient’s Body
This surgical error occurs when surgeons or their assistants leave surgical tools such as scalpels, clamps, scissors, and sponges inside their patients’ bodies.
- Organ Or Nerve Damage
This occurs when a surgeon raptures a nerve or pricks a patient’s organ, thus causing unintended damage.
- Post-Surgery Infection
The use of poorly sterilized or unsterilized equipment in surgical procedures might expose a patient’s wounds to infection.
It is worth noting that not all surgical errors are considered malpractice. Generally, for an error to be classified as medical malpractice, it must fall below the standards of care in the health industry.
Reasons Why Surgical Errors Occur
Several factors often contribute to errors during surgical procedures. These include:
Inexperienced Medical Staff
Medical surgeries are very delicate procedures that require highly trained and experienced personnel—as such, delegating surgeries to low-skilled health providers increases the risk of errors.
Poor Preparation
Surgical procedures require adequate planning and preparation. For example, surgical tools and instruments must be sterilized beforehand and availed to surgeons before the process. This is because most errors occur when surgeons are not provided everything they need before the treatment.
Inadequate Communication
Surgeons must be provided with their patient’s medical history and other crucial information about their patients before the surgery. Otherwise, poor communication might result in health complications after the procedure.
Multiple Procedures
Conducting several surgeries on a patient (in a single session) may increase the risk of operating the wrong body part. Similarly, when surgeons perform multiple surgeries in a day, they are likely to experience burnout, which may increase the risk of making surgical mistakes.
What Health Problems May Arise From Surgical Errors?
Surgical errors can lead to a wide range of health complications, including:
- Disfigurement
- Organ and nerve damage
- Internal bleeding
- Permanent scarring
Claiming Compensation For Medical Malpractice
A surgeon may be held liable for medical malpractice if it is determined they were negligent during the procedure. Some of the damages that a patient may be compensated for due to medical malpractice include:
- Corrective surgery
- Lost wages
- Losing the ability to earn
- Pain and suffering
- Medication
As you may already know, claiming compensation for medical malpractice following surgery can be very challenging since the law requires you to prove negligence on your surgeon’s part.
Fortunately, a qualified medical malpractice attorney can guide you through the process to ensure you receive fair compensation for damages. Call us today. Our expert lawyers will be happy to help you file a claim to get the compensation you deserve.
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