Surgical Error

Prevalence of Surgical Mistakes

In 2007, there were more than 50 million surgical procedures performed in the United States. Each time a patient undergoes an operation, there are risks of surgical errors. These mistakes can range from the outcomes of pre-operative care to perforated internal organs during surgery.

Preventable Surgical Errors

Before, during, and after an operation, physicians and medical staff have established protocols they must follow to prevent serious injuries and surgical mistakes. However, these protocols are not always followed, leaving patients with injuries that should have been prevented. An error can be made by a surgeon, nurse, radiologist, or anesthesiologist who deviates from these professional standards or is negligent when performing a procedure.

Examples of surgical errors include:

• Surgical tool errors: If the scalpel accidentally severs or even nicks an important artery or tendon, the result can be significant bleeding that leads to permanent loss of function or even death.
• Anesthesia errors: If your anesthesiologist incorrectly administers a general or local anesthetic, this can lead to permanent brain injuries or nerve damage.
• Catheter injuries: The improper insertion of a catheter can harm your blood vessels, damage your nerves, or introduce air into your bloodstream that can cause serious consequences like a stroke, heart attack, or embolism.
• Incorrect operations: Although rare, it is tragic when a surgeon is careless and operates on the wrong body part. This mistake is often the result of pre-operative negligence by the surgical staff.
• Post-operative negligence: Doctors and nurses must follow up and monitor your post-operative progress. They need to check for signs of infection, blood clots, hemorrhage, embolisms, cardiac distress, or respiratory problems. If they fail to do so, this can lead to serious post-operative complications.
• Foreign objects: Leaving foreign objects like surgical tools or sponges inside of patients following surgery can cause internal bleeding and severe infection.

Do Not Trust the Hospital to Help You

Sadly, when a surgical error occurs, hospitals often conduct an internal investigation and keep the findings confidential. If you become injured by a surgical error, an experienced Chicago medical malpractice attorney can investigate the cause and help you file a claim against the liable medical practitioner.

The Chicago surgical error lawyers at Walner Law® are here to help you get the money you deserve.