When you trust a surgeon with your health, you expect a certain standard of care. Unfortunately, surgical errors happen more often than you might think, and some of these mistakes can qualify as medical malpractice. Understanding what constitutes a surgical error and why it might be actionable can help you recognize when something has gone seriously wrong.
What surgical mistakes happen most frequently?
Several types of surgical errors happen too often in operating rooms across the country. Wrong-site surgery tops the list. This is when a surgeon operates on the wrong body part or even the wrong patient. You might also face situations where surgeons leave surgical tools or sponges inside your body after the procedure is complete.
Other common errors include performing the wrong procedure entirely, damaging nerves or organs that were not part of the planned surgery and giving improper amounts of anesthesia. Infections caused by unclean conditions or poor after-surgery care also fall into this category. Each of these mistakes can have grave consequences for your health and quality of life.
Why do these errors qualify as malpractice?
Medical errors occur when healthcare professionals do not follow proper treatment standards for their field, which results in patient harm. Surgical errors often meet this definition because they are typically preventable mistakes that a competent surgeon would not make under similar circumstances.
Many surgical errors occur due to poor communication among surgical team members, fatigue, inadequate planning, or failure to follow established safety protocols. When these preventable mistakes cause you harm, you might have grounds to consider your legal options.
If you believe you have been the victim of a surgical error, it is important to gather all your medical records and document everything related to your procedure and recovery. You may want to seek a second medical opinion to understand what went wrong and how it has affected your health. Taking these steps can help you better understand your situation and determine what options might be available to you moving forward.