What Constitutes a Surgical Error?

    DALLAS, TX, December 09, 2010 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Surgical errors are some of the most serious forms of medical malpractice, resulting in severe complications or damage a number of other body parts.

Surgical mistakes are at an alarmingly high rate, and are often preventable errors. The Institute of Medicine reports that an estimated 98,000 hospital patients are killed each year because of medical negligence. Although the medical profession is highly regarded for its quality of care, this approximation raises concerns about the safety standards in hospitals throughout the United States.

The Many Forms of Surgical Errors

There are a number of mistakes that be made during surgery, such as:

- Prescription errors or medication overdoses
- Misreading a medical chart or incorrectly assessing a patient's medical history
- Anesthesia mistakes and overdoses
- Failure to diagnose
- Administering the wrong blood type
- Failing to review medical instructions leading to surgery on the wrong body part
- Scalpel slips that cut into nearby organs or perforate body parts
- Improper medical clearance for surgery
- Failure to treat a post-operative infection

A surgical error also includes unnecessary procedures, such as a Cesarean section, tonsillectomy and hysterectomy. Other types of surgical errors occur during cosmetic procedures such as breast augmentation and some facial surgeries. In cosmetic surgical errors, mistakes may not only be emotionally detrimental, their botched outcome can leave a patient looking worse than before they went into surgery.

When They Can Occur

Surgical errors may occur as early as the pre-operative stage of surgery, when your doctor first examines you and recommends a surgery. Your doctor is responsible for thoroughly examining your medical history and determining whether a given procedure is safe for you. Any little detail about your life that is overlooked may cause a potentially-catastrophic surgical error.

Sometimes a surgical error will occur without you, the patient, even realizing it. A surgical error can also mean that the surgery does not provide the expected results, even if you do not suffer an injury. Surgical errors can take place post-operatively, if your doctor fails to follow up or does not treat a post-operative condition or complication.

Common Surgeries for Surgical Errors
The most common types of surgeries where surgical errors occur include:
- Thoracic surgery
- Childbirth
- Gastric bypass
- Cardiothoracic
- Plastic and cosmetic surgery
- Laparoscopic intestinal surgery

Know the Risks

Before you commit to any surgery, you should be fully aware of all the potential risks and complications. Your doctor is responsible for telling you that every surgery carries a risk, regardless of the procedure. However, aside from the necessary precautions and the inherent dangers of surgery, an injury that is caused by an otherwise preventable surgical mistake should not be tolerated without legal action.

Because of their severity, surgical errors often cause a lifetime of pain, suffering and emotional anguish. Keep in mind that if you suffer an injury because of a surgical mistake, doctors and hospitals are not there to help you. They will often conduct their own internal accident investigation and keep the results confidential.

If you become injured because of a surgical error, an experienced medical malpractice attorney can help you file a claim against the responsible medical professional and/or entity.

If you live in the Dallas, Texas area and want to learn more about your options, please visit the website of the medical malpractice law firm of Polewski & Associates today at www.polewskilaw.com.

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