Infections After Joint Replacement Surgeries: Oregon Medical Malpractice Lawyer

Infections After Joint Replacement Surgeries: Need for Revisions Due to Oregon Medical Malpractice

 

Any joint replacement surgery is a serious procedure.  The most common are knee and hip replacements, followed by a shoulder replacement.  This procedure is when a part of or the entire joint is replaced from the natural bone, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, and other structures to metal rods, joints, rubber, and other man-made analogues.  Nerves, vessels, and muscles may also be displaced in the surgery.  The recovery is usually extensive, and the rehabilitation process will take months and sometimes even a year for certain individuals who are really struggling to adapt to the change.  This is why having to perform another surgery, having to revise the implant, or having to completely change the implant in a completely new surgery is not only devastating to a patient, but it could be likely due to Oregon medical malpractice.

 

One of the most common reasons why an implant revision must be redone is due to an infection.  Medical providers will tell you that the risk of infection is present in all medical procedures, from a surgery to even a booster shot. While that is correct, what is not a normal risk is if the infection is prolific on the implant.  Many times that an implant must be redone means that the implant was so badly contaminated that the infection cannot be controlled with antibiotics.  Or that the implant is harboring the bacteria which is causing the recurring infections.  This is a serious form of medical malpractice which victims should call a Central Oregon medical malpractice lawyer to investigate the cause of your infection.

 

Types of Infection Which May Indicate Oregon Medical Malpractice

 

There are generally two types of infections that patients should be watching out for following a replacement surgery.  The type of infection will indicate whether medical malpractice is likely the cause of the infection, or whether the infection was indeed a common risk of surgery.

 

The two types of infections are the following:

 

1. Superficial Infection – this is an infection which is not in the joint itself, but is around the joint and around the tissue.  It is on the surface of the area that was worked, and usually can be treated with antibiotics.  The success rate for treating this type of infection is high, and it is likely caused by a common risk of infection in a surgery.

 

2. Non-Superficial Infection – this type of infection is obviously the opposite.  This is when the infection comes from well-beyond the superficial tissue which was exposed during the surgery.  This is when the infection originates in or very close to the artificial joint.  This means that the joint itself could be harboring the bacteria.  Usually this type of infection is not responsive to antibiotics, and if it is, the relief will only last a short period of time before coming back.  These infections may also come up months or years after the implant was put in, which indicates that the origin is the implant and not surface bacteria.  This type of infection is usually caused by Oregon medical malpractice because of improper sterilization techniques or methods before surgery.  This is not likely to be a normal cause of an infection.

 

Did You Get an Infection After a Knee Replacement, Hip Replacement, or Shoulder Replacement?  You May be the Victim of Oregon Medical Malpractice

 

If you have a joint replacement surgery which resulted in an infection, especially if you needed to undergo a second surgery to revise or replace the joint, you may be the victim of Oregon medical malpractice.  Please call our Central Oregon medical malpractice lawyer at Kuhlman Law, LLC to learn what your rights to compensation may be and how we can protect them.  

 

We handle cases throughout Oregon and Central Oregon, including Deschutes County, Redmond, Sisters, La Pine, Madras, Prineville, The Dalles, Hood River, Clackamas, Corvallis, Albany, Lake Oswego, West Linn, Tigard, Salem, Portland, Hillsboro, Vancouver, Washington, Beaverton, Oregon City, Eugene, Coos Bay, Astoria, Newport, Pendleton, Tillamook,  Milwaukie, Gresham, Hillsboro, Medford, and any other city, including Bend, Oregon where our main law office is located, please call Kuhlman Law, LLC by dialing (541) 385-1999 to learn what your rights to compensation you may have.  You may also contact us using our easy and convenient “contact us” box at the bottom of our website.  If we accept your case, we will conduct a thorough investigation to get you the answers you deserve, all for free.  There is no risk, and you only pay us if we recover compensation for you.