Surgical Errors and Medical Malpractice

Any medical practitioner can be subject to a medical malpractice claim if it can be shown that they were negligent in their care and actions. A majority of medical malpractice claims come about due to surgical mistakes. Surgeons are on the receiving end of a large portion of litigious pursuits by patients. Given how invasive surgery is and the ramifications that can result from a surgical error, this reality may be understandable.

When it comes to preparing for surgery, any step in the process could cause a patient undue harm. There may be pre-surgical mistakes, issues that take place during surgery, or complications that develop after a surgery has been completed.

In Ohio, if you were the victim of a surgical error and suffered harm because of it,  you may have an Ohio medical malpractice case that can secure you compensation for your damages. To learn more, the Cincinnati medical malpractice attorney at The Green Law Firm can help.

Surgical Errors that Hurt Patients

Thinking about surgery alone can make a patient uneasy as it is. No one looks forward to the process of being cut into but rather, the hopeful positive outcome for health or aesthetics that may result after the procedure is done. When you undergo surgery, you put your full faith in the surgeon, the surgical team, and the anesthesiologist. Before you are under anesthesia, you have some control and say in what is happening around you, but the medical team that is prepping you has a duty to follow established procedures to keep you safe and informed.

Pre-surgical actions that could cause issues may include:

• Improper patient identification.
• Failure to identify the correct body location or type of surgery that is to be done.
• Identifying issues that would cause the patient harm if they go through the entire operation.
• Determining the safety of anesthesia in a patient.
• Not providing the patient with informed consent.
• Understanding potential health risks a patient has and working to mitigate them from arising while also being prepared should an issue happen.

Once under anesthesia you are at the mercy of this group of medical professionals and are no longer able to advocate for yourself so, you have to feel assured that the team will be responsible and not do anything unreasonable that could hurt you. Problems that could take place while in surgery could be:

• Leaving surgical tools inside a patient’s body.
• Operating on the wrong patient.
• Not operating on the right body location.
• Not using hygienic and sterilized operating tools.

After the surgery is completed, there are still risks. Mainly the risk of having an incision be contaminated and then getting infected. Proper monitoring can be effective in combatting any potential infection that may develop.

Speak with an Ohio Medical Malpractice Attorney Today

The Cincinnati injury attorney at The Green Law Firm understands the components that are necessary to build a strong and persuasive medical malpractice claim for the most compensation possible. To have your case evaluated during a free consultation, please call The Green Law Firm today to schedule yours at (513) 769-0840.