While physicians and medical staff adhere to standard protocols when performing surgical procedures, there are a number of errors that may occur beyond what’s considered “acceptable risks,” which are possible during any type of surgery. As such, a patient is usually asked to sign a waiver or implied consent before surgery to demonstrate their understanding and acceptance of certain known risks such as heart attack or stroke. However, a surgical error is one that involves some degree of carelessness, and is classified as a preventable mistake. Because thousands of Americans suffer from surgical errors each year, it is imperative to consult an experienced medical malpractice attorney if you have been harmed or are experiencing complications that you believe are related to a surgical procedure.
As explained by attorneys.com, some of the causes of surgical errors include:
- Inadequate Preoperative Planning: This includes careful evaluation of a patient’s complete medical history, including reactions, certain medications and the patient’s susceptibility to certain risks.
- Miscommunication: This includes misidentifying a patient or marking the wrong incision site for surgery, as well as misreading dosage information or the types of materials to be used in the procedure. There may also be miscommunication in regards to removing materials following a surgery, resulting in sponges and other instruments being left in a patient’s body.
- Fatigue, Exhaustion, Intoxication: Given their long hours, surgeons and medical staff may become extremely fatigued and exhausted, impairing their judgment. This also includes being under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
- Neglect: Failing to properly sterilize instruments, tools and other surgical materials may lead to infection or septic shock.
- Incompetence: Though most surgical errors are related to poor preoperative planning and inadequate work processes, there are instances in which a physician performs below the accepted standard of care, particularly when compared to reasonably competent surgeons in the area or region.
Without question, a surgical error poses a considerable inconvenience to patients, perhaps resulting in more time in the operating room and tremendous frustration. For some, however, the results are devastating, as injuries could cause permanent disability or death.
You Have Rights – Call Burnside Law Firm’s Medical Malpractice Attorneys Today!
At Burnside Law Firm, we take medical malpractice claims very seriously, and have represented people throughout Georgia in such cases since 1978. We believe that if you are suffering due to doctor negligence, you deserve to be compensated for your pain and suffering. Call us today for a no-cost, no-obligation consultation to discuss your claim.
Posted on behalf of
