Surgical errors can happen to a patient during any type of procedure. After a patient has been injured by a surgical error, they may face repeated operations and lengthy rehabilitation. A patient could even die depending upon the severity of the mistake.
Surgical errors may include a lack of patient education, direct procedure errors, or post-surgery incidents. A patient must be informed of all possible risks and any reasonable alternatives to their procedure before it is performed. After the informative stage has passed, the patient is required to give their consent.
A doctor or surgeon may make a surgical error during a complex procedure, but simple operations can also result in injury. For example, a doctor may operate on a perfectly healthy right leg instead of a diseased left leg. This can leave a patient suffering from the original medical issue and the erroneous procedure. Doctors may also carry out the operation, but they may not perform every necessary step or conduct the procedure in an incorrect order.
A major type of surgical error during procedures is a failure to remove all medical tools from the patient’s body. A sponge is often necessary to soak up blood during an operation, but doctors may forget to remove it. This can lead to infections or significant discomfort after the procedure. A patient will need additional surgeries to remove the instrument and correct any injuries.
Any surgical error is the responsibility of the hospital and their medical staff. If you believe that a surgical error may have resulted in an injury or death to you or your loved one, you should immediately contact the Maryland medical malpractice lawyers with the Snyder Litigation Team. You deserve compensation after suffering from a surgical error, and Snyder & Snyder will pursue each case to its conclusion.