Virtually everyone is required to undergo surgery at some time in life. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over 50 million surgical procedures were performed in 2007 in the United States alone. While all surgeries involve some degree of risk, many surgical errors and complications unfortunately result from negligence (failure of your healthcare professional to exercise that degree of skill and care generally required of professionals under like and similar circumstances). In fact, an article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, JAMA, Vol. 284, No. 4, July 2000, suggests that medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the United States. Some of the surgical errors and complications which can occur as a result of medical malpractice include:
- Leaving surgical instruments or sponges in the body
- Operating on the wrong body part
- Damage to other vessels or organs during surgery. Examples:
- laceration or damage to bladder
- perforation or puncture of bowel
- excessive bleeding (hemorrhage)
- nerve damage
- paralysis
- post-surgical infection
- brain damage
The consequences associated with surgical mistakes are often devastating. They also typically require the surgeon to re-operate in order to correct the problem that he or she initially caused. Some of the damages associated with having to undergo a second surgical procedure include:
- Excessive scarring
- Increased chance of infection
- Increased risk of mortality and morbidity
- Additional time away from home and work
- Extended recovery time and hospital stay
- Increased medical bills and expense
If you or someone you know has suffered injury on account of a surgical error or complication, contact an attorney at Burnside Wall LLP for a free initial consultation to learn more about filing a medical malpractice claim. The lawyers at Burnside Wall have a history of success in these types of cases and are prepared to assist with yours.
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