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Common surgical mistakes that occur

On Behalf of | Apr 1, 2022 | Medical Malpractice |

Whether attributed to incompetence, inattention, fatigue, miscommunication or even substance abuse, surgical errors from physicians and their teams lead to terrible and unintended consequences for patients and their families.

You went into surgery trusting that the medical team would complete the procedure without any complications. That did not happen. Many patients like you also have been the victims of surgical mistakes.

Surgery injury and anesthesia errors

Here are some of the more common surgical mistakes that occur:

  • Injury during surgery: Perhaps the surgeon failed to pay attention or was careless and cut a healthy organ or body part by mistake. Nerve-related injuries also may occur in these situations. The surgical team also may have made an incorrect incision.
  • Anesthesia errors: Whether too much or too little anesthesia, this situation can harm a patient either way. Brain damage and death are possible with too much anesthesia as patients may get too little oxygen. Not enough anesthesia may lead to a patient awakening during surgery, potentially leading to psychological trauma. Allergic reactions are possible, too.
  • Objects left inside the patient: This may result in severe internal damage to the vital organs, veins and arteries. Bleeding also is a possibility. A study by the New England Journal of Medicine disclosed that sponges accounted for 69% of the items left inside patients, while the remaining 31% included instruments such as clamps and retractors.
  • Wrong-site surgery: There have been situations such as a surgeon removing a healthy kidney of a patient or amputating the wrong limb. This category also may include operating on the wrong patient.

These situations should not happen. However, surgical mistakes occasionally surface, and victims are left having to cope with an aftermath that led to life-changing injuries or even death.

Advocate for yourself, contact an attorney

If you suspect that you have been the victim of a surgical error, it is crucial to contact an experienced medical malpractice attorney. By advocating for yourself, you just may prevent the next potential surgical mistake from happening to another patient.