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Home » Consumer Information » Medical Malpractice

Surgical Error

The numbers of injuries and fatalities resulting from surgical errors are quite staggering. Almost 100,000 people die annually in hospitals nationwide as a result of blunders that could have been prevented. A surgical error can be one of the most devastating mistakes made in the medical field, as a botched operation could result in permanent damage to numerous body parts and even lead to death.

"Wrong site" operations, the most common type of surgical error, occur when a procedure is performed on a perfectly normal organ, limb, etc., neglecting the problem area. Additional surgical errors which are similar include operating on the wrong patient or performing an unnecessary procedure on the appropriate body part.

Oftentimes, physicians may even recommend surgery when an operation may not even be the solution. An analysis of research conducted in the 1980s revealed that as many as 30 percent of questionable surgeries performed were completely uncalled for. These procedures included operations such as:

  • C-section.
  • Tonsillectomy.
  • Appendectomy.
  • Hysterectomy.
  • Gastrectomy for extremely overweight people.

Other miscalculations may take place during plastic, a.k.a. cosmetic surgery, like breast augmentation or reduction and facelifts. Mistakes that are made during these operations may not only serve as a physical threat to the patient, but the outcome could even make matters worse than they were prior to the operation.

In 2003, a Journal of American Medical Association study discovered that more than 32,000 deaths due to surgical error occurred that year alone. These totaled $9 billion and increased insurance expenses for extended hospital stays. Situations leading to these thousands of fatalities included:

  • Postoperative infections that should have been prevented.
  • Surgical instruments and other materials sewn up into the body.
  • Surgical incisions opening up after being stitched closed.
  • Continuous bleeding following surgery.

A different investigation found that about a third of hospital patients were kept there too long; the more time spent in the hospital, the greater the probability of the occurrence of a surgical error.

Surgical error cases are usually very intricate and require the assistance of an expert law firm. These mistakes can originate as early as the preoperative surgery stage when the physician assesses the patient's status and chooses surgery as the best approach to resolve the problem. During this phase of the surgical course of action, it is essential that the doctor thoroughly reviews the patient's entire health history. Even if what appears to be a minor detail is overlooked, it could really affect the success of the operation. Other surgical errors can happen without the presence of an injury; the patient may not even realize anything is wrong, but they simply will not have achieved the projected outcome.

There is a moderate amount of risk associated with any surgery, but there is no excuse for this risk to be compounded by a medical professional's negligence. If you or someone you love feels that you are a victim of an operation gone wrong, notify an experienced medical malpractice attorney to find you what may be owed to you.