Surgical Malpractice
Surgical Malpractice
Medical malpractice can occur in the context of surgery. They type and consequences of that malpractice is extremely varied. Typical types of surgical malpractice may include:
- Wrong site/Wrong patient surgery This should never occur, but it still happens with frightening regularity. Every hospital should have in place procedures to verify the identity of the patient, the nature of the surgery to be performed and, if appropriate, the correct side on which surgery is to be performed. Surgery on the wrong patient or on the wrong body part is always negligence.
- Perforations of uninvolved organs Other structures, such as bowels, bladder, kidney, etc can and do get perforated during surgery. If discovered promptly and fixed, these inadvertent perforations or nicks usually don’t cause any problems. If not discovered and fixed, they can lead to life-threatening infections.
- Lacerations of nerves, tendons or other structures Anytime a surgeon is cutting in an area where such structures are found, he or she has a duty to identify and protect those structures. Failure to do so may be negligence.
- Post surgery infections While infection may be a known risk of surgery, it doesn’t mean that acquiring a post-surgical infection “just happens.” A thorough review of your medical records by an experienced medical malpractice lawyer may reveal the cause of the infection or the failure to timely diagnose it.
- Instruments left behind Like wrong site or wrong patient surgeries, this should never happen. Failure to account for every sponge, clamp, needle and other instrument is negligence.If you suspect that you have been the victim of surgical negligence, contact medical malpractice attorney Todd Hendrickson immediately. Accepting cases throughout St. Louis, Missouri and Illinois.
