Oregon Medical Malpractice Related Surgical Errors

Understanding When Medical Malpractice Related Surgical Errors Harm You

 

A person undergoing surgery is typically aware of the possible risks involved, if the patient has been fully informed. While any surgery involves potential risks and complications due occur, there are times when a patient may be harmed during the surgery not due to a known potential complication, but due to the error of the surgeon performing the surgery. Surgical errors happen every day, leading to serious harm or even death of the patient. These mistakes should never happen. When they do and a patient is harmed, it is considered to be medical malpractice. 

 

How Surgical Errors Due to Medical Malpractice Occur

 

Sadly, there are many errors that surgeons make every day that result in patients being harmed. When errors cause patient harm, not expected complications, this is considered medical malpractice. Many errors are preventable if proper protocols are followed and the patient receives the standard of care. Examples of mistakes that happen all too frequently due to medical malpractice include the following:

 

• Foreign objects being left inside the body – This is a very serious surgical error that is directly the result of the surgical team’s carelessness. There are procedures and protocols to avoid this from happening, such as counting all instruments and sponges prior to the surgery and before completing the surgery. When care and attention is not brought towards ensuring that everything is accounted for, objects are left inside the body
• Anesthesia Errors – Anesthesia is used for generally every surgery. While anesthesia does carry some risks, patients can suffer due to errors made by the anesthesiologist, such as overdosing or under dosing the patient with the anesthetic
• Wrong patient – If a the wrong surgery is performed on a patient, this is incredibly serious. This leads to unnecessary harm to the patient, as well as the need for the additional surgery that they were supposed to undergo
• Wrong site operated on – This too is very serious. An example of this is removing the wrong kidney, leaving the diseased kidney in the body. This is incredibly serious and will result in serious patient harm

 

Causes of Surgical Medical Malpractice Errors

 

Surgical medical malpractice occurs all too frequently unfortunately. Sadly, some patients are not even aware that malpractice has occurred, as the physician may try to brush it off as a known potential complication. This is why, if you or your loved one suffered a serious surgical complication, your case should be reviewed to ensure that medical malpractice did not cause the surgical complication. Examples of surgical medical malpractice causes include the following:

 

• Failure to communicate – failing to communicate creates great risk for error
• Incompetence – Failure to provide proper oversight for novice physicians or for physicians unfamiliar with a particularly surgery can lead to error
• Carelessness – Carelessness puts the patient at great risk for harm
• Drug or alcohol use – Surgeon’s use of drugs or alcohol can cause serious harm to the patient  as it can impair their ability to perform the surgery
• Inadequate preoperative planning – Failure to plan prior to the surgery can lead to errors
• Fatigue – Surgeons often work long hours. This puts them at risk for fatigue, which can impair their ability to perform the surgery

 

Ask Our Medical Malpractice Lawyer for Help

 

If you or a loved one have been seriously injured or killed as a result of medical malpractice contact the Oregon Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Kuhlman Law at our number below or fill out the intake form.  We offer a free initial case evaluation and handle cases on a contingency fee which means that you pay no money unless we recover.

 

Our law firm handles cases throughout the state including Bend and Portland Oregon, Redmond, Central Oregon, Sisters, Madras, Multnomah County, Deschutes County, Salem, Eugene, Corvallis, Lane County, Medford, Gresham, La Grande, Albany, Medford, Beaverton, Umatilla, Pendleton,  Cottage Grove, Florence, Oregon City, Springfield, Keizer, Grants Pass, McMinnville, Tualatin, West Linn, Forest Grove, Wilsonville, Newberg, Roseburg, Lake Oswego, Klamath Falls, Happy Valley, Tigard, Ashland, Milwakie, Coos Bay, The Dalles,  St. Helens, Sherwood, Central Point, Canby, Troutdale, Hermiston, Silverton, Hood River, Newport, Prineville, Astoria, Tillamook, Lincoln City, Hillsboro, and Vancouver, Washington.

 

We also have an office in Minneapolis, Minnesota and take medical malpractice cases throughout the Twin Cities, including St. Paul, Hennepin County, Ramsey County, Dakota County, Washington County, Anoka County, Scott County, Blaine, Stillwater, and Saint Paul Minnesota.