If you have an upcoming surgery scheduled, you more than likely have some worries about how your procedure will go. You don’t want any surgical complications and you hope to heal quickly and fully. Yet, you know that doesn’t always happen. You even may be concerned about if your surgeon makes a mistake. You know it can happen, even though it’s unlikely.
Yet every patient should understand the risks of surgical errors. About 4,000 surgical errors occur in the United States each year. Surprisingly, many surgical errors occur after surgery, when patients receive inadequate care. The most common surgical errors include:
- Conducting wrong side surgery (for example, a patient needs surgery on their left knee, but the surgeon operates on the right knee)
- Operating on the wrong patient (a surgeon completes a surgery on the wrong patient)
- Making anesthesia mistakes (giving too much anesthesia or not taking a patient’s allergies into account)
- Mistakenly cutting an organ or another body part during surgery
- Leaving a foreign object, such as a surgical tool or sponge, behind inside a patient
- Causing an infection by a surgeon using tools that haven’t been properly sterilized or not washing their hands properly
- Failing to provide proper post-op care
- Failing to address complications properly
You may have a medical malpractice claim against your surgeon if:
- Your doctor didn’t provide you with the standard level of care.
- Your doctor’s negligence led to the surgical error occurring.
- You suffered significant harm because of the surgical error.
With a medical malpractice lawsuit, you can recover specific damages because of the harm a surgical error caused you. You can receive:
- Compensation for medical bills and lost wages
- Compensation for your pain, suffering and inconveniences you experienced due to the error
If you suffer serious health problems or an injury because of a surgical error, you should consult an experienced medical malpractice attorney. With an attorney’s help, you can receive proper compensation for your surgical complications and you won’t have to worry about paying your extra medical costs.
You also can hold your healthcare provider accountable, to help prevent future errors happening. Sometimes, you have to not only be an advocate for your own health and well-being, but for that of others too.
If you or your loved one have been injured due to the medical negligence of a medical personnel, now is the right time to seek help. Contact Pam Olsen today at (352) 671-9777. Or if you prefer, Schedule a Consultation with Pam Olsen, Esq.