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The Common Instances of Surgical Malpractice in the United States

Surgery is safer today than ever before, as medical technologies and discoveries have made surgeons masters at their craft. However, there are always instances where these proclaimed professionals act with negligence and cause harm to patients because of surgical malpractice. While these instances are very slim, the chances of receiving injuries while undergoing a procedure are never zero. 

During these pressing times, a surgical accident lawyer will be of great assistance in getting back at the surgeon who ruined a procedure and rendered you with any issues. While you are paying top dollar to receive the best treatment, not all surgeons will live up to the standards, and this is where you’ll want compensation. Here are some instances where more harm is done than good, which are common in surgical malpractice cases:

Surgical Malpractice

The case of surgical malpractice is different from the medical side of things. It typically involves healthcare professionals providing dangerous treatment to a patient. All surgeons usually go through years of training to be perfect at what they do, and having someone do their job with sub-par methods can permanently damage a patient’s life. 

There is a list of some common surgical malpractice practices, which usually lead to health complications and untimely deaths. Unnecessary surgery often leads to increased complications, which is one item on the list. Some surgeons fail to sanitize their instruments, which can cause diseases and infections to spread, leading to health issues. 

Patients might also be discharged prematurely, which can cause complications due to the lack of patient monitoring. Surgeries might also be delayed because of various reasons, and any delays for severe cases can be fatal. Additionally, not running diagnostics and performing surgery without clearance can cause excessive damage to the human body. 

Surgical Errors

Surgeons that aren’t careful or well-renowned might conduct some nasty errors. This negligence can cause issues in patients’ lives, such as affecting cognitive abilities or mobility. A surgical accident lawyer can help deal with these problematic errors in severe surgery cases. Professionals who rush the process might accidentally leave some objects used in surgery inside the patient’s body, leading to infections internally that may cause organ failures. 

Removing an organ without any plans to do so can also be grounds for charges. Some surgeons try to take matters into their own hands and try to run their own procedures. Whatever the procedure is, unplanned surgery for organ tissue removal is absolutely unacceptable. In any case of injuries or death, these are severe instances that should be filed promptly with a surgical accident lawyer’s help.

One less common instance of surgical malpractice is operating on the wrong patient, incorrect body parts, or using the wrong surgical procedure. Hospitals are busy places, but there have been cases where data gets mixed up, and professionals operate on the wrong patients. If this occurs, you’ll want to file a lawsuit right away, especially if you’ve received severe injuries. 

How Common Are Surgical Malpractice Errors?

In 2012, John Hopkins University in the United States discovered that 39 objects were left behind during surgery every week, while wrong operations were done 20 times a week. While these numbers seem to be staggering, this is all the more reason to have a surgical accident lawyer in close contact, especially before and after undergoing a procedure. While it might be scary to think about, the reality is that it can happen, which is why everyone has to be prepared for the worst. 

Conclusion

Surgical malpractice is actually quite common in today’s world. Fortunately, today’s numbers are much less than they used to be decades ago, with medical technologies and education being of higher standards. While you will probably have a flawless experience with most surgical procedures, there are still risks involved, and you wouldn’t want to take the chances. 

Ronemus & Vilensky are the number one accident and malpractice attorneys in New York. Whether you need a brain injury lawyer or assistance with medical and surgical malpractice cases, we are here to support you. Contact us to learn more about how we can work together.