Surgical operations are among the most delicate medical procedures. The slightest mistakes can be catastrophic, and they could leave you with lifelong injuries or even worse.
It is an unfortunate situation that thousands of Americans find themselves in every year. For the victims who have to pay the price of medical negligence, life is never the same. But, what exactly could go wrong at the operating table?
Common surgical errors
Almost anything can happen, but some surgical mistakes are more common than others. For example, some of the most frequent sources injuries include things like:
- Wrong-site surgeries, like where a surgeon operates on the left leg instead of the right. That could leave you with unnecessary wounds that have to heal, and facing a second surgery for the right leg.
- Wrong-patient surgeries, like where the file of one patient with a common last name gets swapped for another. That can do untold damage to both you and the other person.
- The surgeon may also forget some operating instruments like bandages in your body, leading to infections.
- Sterilization errors, such as when surgical equipment isn’t fully cleaned, which can cause further infections and other health complications.
- Anesthesia errors are also a possibility where the anesthesiologist administers more or less of the numbing medication you need, which can be fatal or cause untold pain.
- Nerve damage during an operation can also happen when the surgeon nicks a nerve by mistake when conducting the operation.
If you are a victim of medical negligence, you need to hold the negligent parties accountable for their actions. Your life may be turned upside down because of one of these mistakes, and that can leave you unable to earn a living or care for your family.
In such a case, compensation may be your only way of getting justice for the damages suffered. Find out more about how medical malpractice claims work as soon as possible.