The Cost of Surgical Errors
If you find yourself facing a surgical procedure, many thoughts no doubt are racing through your head. Will the procedure be successful? How long is the recovery time? One possibility that you should not have to consider is a surgical error.
Common Surgical Errors
A surgical error is a preventable mistake made during surgery. Some of the most common surgical errors are:
- Anesthesia errors
- Improper incision area
- Leaving behind a piece of surgical equipment inside the body
- Operating on the wrong body part
- Nerve injury during surgery
Causes for Surgical Errors
It is sometimes easy to forget that doctors are humans and can make mistakes. Many of these mistakes, however, are avoidable. If the surgeon is inexperienced or incompetent in the procedure, if the surgeon has failed to be well prepared for the surgery or if he or she takes shortcuts during the procedure, serious injury to the patient can occur. If there is poor communication among the surgical team regarding medication, the surgical site or any mitigating factors that increase the risk of the procedure, this can lead to catastrophic consequences. Fatigue is also another factor in errors. Some surgeons turn to drugs or alcohol to fight the stress and fatigue of the job.
Standard of Care
In order to consider a malpractice claim, a surgical error must fail to follow the appropriate standard of care. Standard of care for surgery is the quality of care you would expect to receive from another qualified practitioner in the same area if the surgery took place under similar circumstances. If your injury could have been prevented if the surgeon had followed the appropriate standard of care, you may be entitled to file a malpractice claim.
Surgical errors can leave behind scars that are difficult to heal. If you believe you are the victim of a surgical error and would like to discuss your options, contact CFJ Injury Lawyers today to schedule your consultation.