• Surgical Injury
• Surgical Infection
• Prolonged Surgery
• Incorrect Incision
• Incorrect Operation
• Organ Damage
• Nerve Damage
• Wrong Patient Surgery
• Wrong Site Surgery
• Cosmetic Surgery Error
• Plastic Surgery Error
• Contaminated Instruments

Overview

When a patient seeks or requires a surgical procedure, they are typically educated about the inherent risks associated with that surgical procedure. Almost all surgeries bear a very small risk of anesthesia reactions, blood clots, infection, cardiovascular complications, or healing complications. Patients who undergo surgery, however, do not typically anticipate surgical errors. Surgical patients reasonably think that the doctor and medical team performing the practice are competent, experienced, and careful enough to perform the surgery without committing surgical errors.

Unfortunately, surgical errors are not as uncommon as many would like to think. Thousands of people are injured every year by surgical errors connected to medical malpractice. Medical negligence, or malpractice, involves a healthcare professional's failure to implement the skill, care, and caution necessary to prevent causing a patient injury or illness. Surgical errors are some of the most shocking and devastating of all medical mistakes.

Causes of Surgical Errors

Poor Pre-Operative Planning

Surgical errors may be traced to poor pre-operative planning or care. Preceding surgery, a physician should fully evaluate a patient's existing health and medical history, use of medications, pertinent lifestyle choices (i.e. smoking, alcohol use), and their family history. Surgeons performing elective surgery or cosmetic procedures should also have a thorough understanding of the patient's aesthetic goals. A doctor should make sure that the procedure intended is safe, appropriate, and in the best interest of the patient. The doctor planning to execute the surgery should be competent and experienced enough to guarantee that there is a very low risk of surgical errors.

Errors During A Procedure

The majority of surgical errors arise during the procedure itself. Surgical errors that involve anesthesia are often times life threatening, posing the chance of permanent brain damage, asphyxia, coma, organ damage, cardiovascular problems, and death. Incorrect incisions, the use of un-sterile equipment, damage to nearby organs, nerve damage, and prolonged surgery are examples of the most common surgical errors made by negligence, careless, or inexperienced medical professionals.

Some medical malpractice claims involve surgical instruments or sponges being left in a patient and can cause serious post-operative damage. Between sixty and seventy cases of wrong site surgery are reported every year. One of the most extreme of surgical errors, wrong site surgery involves operating on the wrong part of a patient or the wrong patient altogether.

Post-Operative Injuries

Surgical errors can also arise in the post-operative phase. Substandard aftercare can head to infection, septic shock, delayed healing, and other life threatening health consequences.

While surgical errors can be made during any process, they are more probable during gastric bypass surgery, laparoscopic procedures, plastic surgery, and obstetric procedures.

If you or a loved one has suffered personal injury caused by surgical errors, please contact us to speak with a skilled and experienced Orlando medical malpractice attorney who can evaluate your case to establish your legal rights and options.

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