All surgeries are inherently risky. Even with competent, expert care, the possibility exists for negative reactions to anesthesia, and post-surgery infection. However, most patients do not readily anticipate surgical mistakes and errors. Anyone placing their lives in the hands of a  doctor expects that that physician will provide expert and competent medical care, including the ability to manage the entire surgical team and hospital staff. Unfortunately, surgical errors are much more common than one might anticipate. Some surgical errors can be easily corrected others unfortunately, can result in serious injury or even death.

Call The attorney referral service at

800 733-5342.

Many surgical errors are not the result of a surgical complication. Instead, they are caused by negligent deviations from the prevailing professional standard of care. The potential errors include:

    * Failure to remove foreign objects such as sponges or surgical instruments from the patient’s body, resulting in infection or even death.

    * Anesthesia errors resulting in permanent brain damage, stroke, heart attack and death.

    * Failure to obtain the patient's prior informed consent with respect to a specific surgical procedure.

    * Perforation of the bowel.

    * Gastric bypass surgery (bariatric surgery or stomach stapling) resulting in blood clots, infection or heart attack.

    * Severing a nerve.

    * Failure to monitor for sepsis (a blood infection) during and after surgery.

    * Penetration of eye tissue (such as the lens or cornea) during eye surgery.

    * Severing the ureter during a hysterectomy.

    * Back surgery errors resulting in permanent spinal cord injury.

    * Wrong site surgery (operation on the wrong area of the patient or operation on the wrong patient altogether).

    * Failure to use sterile equipment.

    * Damage or puncture of nearby organs.

Some surgical mistakes can be traced to poor pre-operative care and planning. A doctor must thoroughly analyze a patient’s medical history, medication and lifestyle choices prior to determining what surgical course, if any, should be taken. A surgeon must make sure that the procedure is as safe as possible by extensively monitoring the surgical team. This all requires that the surgeon and his or her team be experienced and competent enough to mitigate all risks of surgical error.

Call The attorney referral service at

800 733-5342.

Unfortunately, surgical errors are common. If you or a loved one has been the victim of surgical error medical malpractice, you may be entitled to damages including medical expenses, lost wages and other compensation.