Injuries from Surgical Errors

All surgeries carry some level of risk. Even minor procedures can have complications, and surgeons and their teams must exercise caution in order to avoid preventable personal injuries. When surgical errors occur, patients can suffer serious harm.

Conducting thorough surgical prep is vital in preventing surgical errors. Surgeons should spend time going over the patient’s chart to make sure they are prepared to perform the correct procedure. There have been medical malpractice complaints involving wrong site surgery in which an operation is performed on the wrong limb, organ, or other body part. This can cause damage to healthy tissue and it does not correct the patient’s actual health concern. In some cases, patient charts may get mixed up, and the wrong patient may undergo surgery.

Negligent Behavior During Surgery

Even a small error during surgery can set off a chain reaction of complications. If surgeons nick a nerve or artery during a procedure, there may be permanent nerve damage or dangerous bleeding. Other organs or tissues in the vicinity are also at risk for damage if a surgeon is not extremely careful. Anesthesia can also result in nerve damage if not administered properly, and surgical instruments that are not adequately sterilized put patients at risk for serious infections, and patients may have difficulty recovering when they have a compromised immune system. In some cases, foreign objects may be left in the patient after surgery which can cause serious problems and will require additional surgery to correct.

Surgical Errors

There are several ways that surgical errors occur. If surgical teams do not properly prepare patient charts and prepping equipment, patients may suffer as a result. Teams who cut corners or fail to communicate may skip crucial steps during the procedure. The surgeons themselves may be the issue if they lack the necessary skills to perform the procedure or are too fatigued to handle the surgery. In some cases, surgeons or their team members may simply make mistakes because they are not being careful.

In order to pursue a medical malpractice lawsuit involving a surgical error, the injured patient must prove that they had a relationship with the surgeon or another medical professional and that they owed the patient a duty of care. They must show that the medical professional failed to uphold a reasonable standard of care, and they suffered harm as a direct result of that failure. Patients must file a claim within a certain timeframe which starts when the damage occurred, so it is vital to contact a personal injury lawyer in a timely manner.

Piscataway Personal Injury Lawyers at the Law Offices of Harold J. Gerr Help Medical Malpractice Victims Obtain Compensation

If you suffered an injury due to medical malpractice, you may be eligible for compensation. Our dedicated Piscataway personal injury lawyers at the Law Offices of Harold J. Gerr have the knowledge and experience to handle all types of medical malpractice cases, including those involving surgical errors. We will thoroughly review the facts of your case to determine if medical negligence was a factor in your surgical complication and help you obtain the compensation you deserve. Contact us online or call us at 732-537-8570 to schedule a free consultation. With offices conveniently located in Highland Park, New Jersey, we also serve clients in New Brunswick, Somerset, Piscataway, Edison, South River, Sayreville, Metuchen, East Brunswick, South Plainfield, Fords, Middlesex, Old Bridge, Iselin, Bound Brook, Perth Amboy, and Colonia.