Top Reasons Surgical Errors Occur
Medical malpractice occurs much more often than it should. You should feel confident in your surgeon’s abilities because you are putting your life into their hands during even the most routine of surgeries. While minor tweaks may be made to your treatment plan during the surgery or unexpected situations might arise, surgical error is something you should never need to endure.
An attorney has the qualifications to establish if your treatment was below the standard of care in cases of surgical error. Some of the major causes of surgical errors are:
- Fatigue: Everyone has days when they go to work and feel too tired to function. But as a surgeon, it is irresponsible to go to work tired. The margin for risk and error is significant when working while fatigued.
- Drugs or Alcohol: High stress jobs often lead to a dependence on drugs or alcohol. It is shocking to think but some surgeons have turned to drugs or alcohol and entered the operating room under the influence.
- Neglect To Follow Surgical Standards: From scrubbing in properly to using properly cleaned instruments, every type of surgical standard must be followed. Even the most routine of surgeries need to follow every protocol. A patient never deserves to face neglect because this is a perfectly preventable form of surgical error.
- Bad Planning for the Operation: Even the most routine of surgeries requires pre-planning for the procedure. It is critical that your surgeon is familiarized with your case and all of the necessary equipment needed for the surgery is properly prepared. The nurses and surgeons on your case should be ready for complications associated with a surgery.
- Taking Shortcuts: If a surgery is going well, a surgeon may skip a step during the procedure. Surgeons may believe they know best but proven, known methods of treatment are always the way to go.
- Improper Communication: Whether it is between the nurse and the surgical team or the surgeon and the anesthesiologist, poor communication can lead to major surgical issues. A surgeon may mark the wrong site for the procedure, may not have all of the right equipment on hand, or even give the wrong type of medicine during or after the surgery. The types of errors that occur as a result of improper communication span from leaving an instrument in the body to performing the wrong procedure.
- Incompetence: Whether you have a new surgeon or your procedure is tricky, your surgeon may be incompetent. If your surgeon does not have the skill to get the job done properly, it can lead to a surgical error.
If you believe you or someone you know has a medical malpractice case worth defending, seek the help of a qualified attorney to defend your interests in court. A surgeon has no excuse for committing a preventable error while they are on the job.
To schedule a free consultation with a qualified personal injury attorney at Glotzer and Kobren call them at (561) 361-8677 or visit them online at www.glotzerlaw.com.
