Surgery is considered a last resort, but it is a large step in the right direction. It is meant to correct the problem, such as removing cancerous tissue or repairing a fractured bone.
Most of the time, malpractice does not occur because a doctor or the medical staff is intentionally setting out to cause harm. However, whether it is due to lack of knowledge or the skills to respond appropriately to a situation, a patient’s medical condition should not worsen after surgery.
When a patient undergoes surgery, the expectation is that it will address your medical condition, and you will be healed. You should not have to be forced to suffer from far worse health effects, unnecessary financial burdens, and the emotional impact it can have for you or your family.
What Are Some Examples Of Surgical Errors?
Here is a scenario: a patient visits the doctor’s office because of a wound that may have contracted a bacterial infection. Now, this is a textbook procedure that is relatively straightforward to treat.
However, the doctor fails to perform the test to detect an infection. So, the doctor decides to perform surgery unnecessarily that results in serious injuries, including damage to several arteries and these are some examples of the common types of consequences of surgical errors:
- Operating on the wrong area or body part
- Performing a surgery unnecessarily (possibly due to misdiagnosis)
- Leaving surgical instruments in the body
- Causing damage to internal organs
- Patient develops an infection or suffers other complications
Across the medical community, all doctors are required to abide the medically accepted standard of care. Acting outside of this is what can lead to medical malpractice as even the most insignificant of mistakes can create a ripple effect. This means that the difference between whether or not a patient’s prognosis looks good or not rides on a very fine thread.
If you have any questions about the laws or you or if you think a loved one has been affected by medical malpractice, please contact us immediately.
About the Author: Frank Piscitelli
As a first-generation Italian in the United States, Frank is no stranger to tough times. His father’s family moved to Cleveland from Italy on May 22, 1958, with a few articles of clothing, some personal items and very little money. His family shared a home with three other related families but happily worked long hours doing jobs that involved physical labor, just to put food on the table. There was the promise of hope and opportunity, which was missing before his family moved here.
