Many patients view surgery as a last resort. It is a means to resolve your condition when less invasive measures are not sufficient.
You recognize that there is some inherent risk in any surgical operation, and you trust that your surgeon recognizes and respects the risk as well. Unfortunately, any human is capable of negligent behavior that can lead to surgical mistakes and medical malpractice.
Examples of surgical malpractice
Carelessness in a medical facility can lead to potentially fatal mix-ups. Many surgical errors are the result of wrong-site, wrong-procedure and wrong-patient surgery. When professionals make the mistake of operating on an incorrect patient or body part, many more issues can arise as a result. Other examples of surgical malpractice that can occur include:
- Damaging healthy organs
- Leaving surgical instruments inside the patient’s body
- Neglecting to disclose a known medical issue after surgery
What to do when malpractice occurs
If a medical professional becomes aware of a surgical error, they have a moral obligation to disclose it to you. Should the issue go undiscovered, you might continue to experience prior symptoms as well as a fever and severe pain at the affected site. Your top priority is to seek proper treatment for your new and existing conditions. Be sure to keep all records pertaining to your original surgery so that you can prove your medical malpractice case and pursue the compensation you deserve.
Surgical errors fall under the category of medical malpractice when there is proof that negligent behavior is the cause of the event. It is important to maintain accurate records of your doctor-patient relationships, as carelessness can occur at any stage of medical treatment.