Common Surgical Errors

It may shock you to discover that surgical errors happen to thousands of Americans every year Fortunately the majority of these errors are not deadly, however even a minor mistake can cause damage. Most errors occur during the surgery itself (around 25% happen during pre and post care).

Surgery errors can be caused by several factors: sometimes medical equipment is responsible, sometimes carelessness of surgeons and sometimes a mix up in information. The most common errors are as follow:

Foreign Objects

By far the most common surgical error is foreign objects being left in the body. This could includes scalpels, gauze, clamps etc. Operating theatres use material checklists to try and protect against this happening. If objects are left in the body,  pain and infections are usually the outcome, though deaths have happened.

Nerve Damage

Another very common error is your surgeon causing nerve damage to your body.The smallest mistake with a scalpel can result in immediate and permanent nerve damage, which could cause disability and pain for the rest of your life.

Incorrect Side

This error is again due to miscommunication; in the past there has been cases of amputees getting the incorrect leg taken, and the healthy kidneys being removed.

Anesthesia

These are some of the most serious and dangerous of surgical errors, which is why anesthetists have such a difficult job. The right amount of anesthesia needs to be administered – too little and the patient may wake up in the surgery or feel everything that’s happening, too much and they may never wake up again.

Wrong Patient

Miscommunication and a lack of identity verification can result in the wrong surgery being performed on a patient. This means that the patient may have a healthy organ removed, which is an extremely serious mistake. Hospitals should have clear records in place to avoid this serious type of error.

If you have been the victim of a surgical error and need advice on how to claim for your damages, contact the experts at Franco Law Firm who can help you on this difficult journey.