Surgical mistakes are an unfortunately common problem in hospitals. They are a tragic example of how individuals who are already suffering from pain can be victimized by the negligent and sometimes reckless actions of the doctors and nurses who are charged with their care. They happen in Atlanta and throughout Georgia, and those who suffer the overwhelming challenges of surgical mistakes can live with the consequences of their doctors’ actions for the rest of their lives.
There are many ways that surgical mistakes can happen, and this informational post will introduce 3 of those ways. No part of this post should be read as legal or medical advice, but readers are reminded that they can always seek the counsel of knowledgeable personal injury attorneys when they have questions about their possible medical malpractice claims.
Common surgical errors
Horror stories about forgotten surgical tools and materials often make headlines when victims must seek additional medical treatment to have their disastrous medical conditions repaired. These mistakes happen when some frequency, but so do actual mistakes related to the performance of surgical procedures. Three common surgical errors are:
- Wrong-patient surgeries: As this category suggests, wrong-patient surgeries happen when doctors perform scheduled operations but do those procedures on the wrong individuals.
- Wrong-site surgeries: These mistakes often happen when the surgical procedures to be performed are on bilateral body parts, such as lungs or legs. A wrong-site surgery may involve a patient having a surgery done on their left arm when the procedure should have been done on their right arm.
- Wrong-procedure surgeries: A wrong-procedure surgery happens when an individual undergoes an operation that is not intended for them.
Hospitals and surgical centers can take proactive steps to help avoid these types of mishaps and prevent surgical errors from happening. Known as “never events” because there is no reason for surgical errors to happen, facilities that use checking systems and involve the actual surgical patients in the review of their procedures can reduce their instances of surgical errors.
Coping with the fallout of a surgical error
As mentioned, surgical errors victimize individuals who are in vulnerable positions. They happen to men, women, and children who require invasive medical care and who they are subjected to surgical procedures that do not address their medical needs. Recovering from one surgery can be difficult, but when a surgical error victim must recover from a mistake surgery and their needed operation, the process can be very difficult.
Victims of surgical mistakes can advocate for their needs. They should not have to endure the financial hardship of medical mistakes that were beyond their control. When surgical mistakes happen, victims and their loved ones can contact dedicated personal injury lawyers for counsel on their possible legal claims.
