Philadelphia Surgical Errors Attorney

Surgical errors and medical malpractice usually occur through general negligence. However, surgical errors resulting from medical malpractice may occur when doctors or surgeons did not properly evaluate the patient prior to surgery. The personal injury lawyers at the Philadelphia, PA law firm of The Levin Firm Personal Injury Lawyers understand that the patient’s current health and lifestyle should have been evaluated before the surgery. Surgical errors and medical malpractice can occur when the patient is taking any medications that are not known to the medical professionals involved in the surgery. The surgeon is responsible for making sure the surgery is safe to perform on this patient, and that all professionals involved in the surgery and competent and know their roles.

Each year in the United States, 20-30 million people undergo surgeries that require them to be put under general anesthesia. While most wake up with their medical condition dramatically improved, some wake up to the reality that a mistake has been made during their surgery due to medical malpractice.

While post-operation complications are not uncommon for invasive procedures, there are a number of issues that can arise from an error caused by the surgeon that aren’t naturally occurring aftereffects. If you suspect you may be the subject of a medical malpractice case, reach out to a local medical malpractice lawyer for help and a possible chance at damages.

What Are The Causes Of Surgical Errors?

• A lack of preoperative planning: Errors can arise if medical staff haven’t gone over a patient’s complete history, including potential risks and medication reactions.
• Failing to clearly communicate: Mistakes like misidentifying patients, marking the wrong areas for surgery, misreading drug dosage and not recognizing how a patient reacts to a certain drug are among the forms of miscommunication that can contribute to surgical errors. Additionally, it’s important for surgeons to conduct an inventory after the procedure is completed, as sponges and other equipment have been known to be left behind in a patient’s body cavity.
• Fatigue or operating while under the influence: Because doctors work long hours, they can become tired and may even try to compensate by taking drugs to keep them alert. These actions impair judgment and lead to mistakes.
• Neglect: Using defective surgical tools or not properly sterilizing instruments beforehand can result in life-threatening conditions like infection and septic shock.

Types Of Surgical Errors

Surgical errors are rare, but can be devastating for affected patients. They can lead to anything from temporary infection or discomfort to life-long injury to death. Types of surgical errors include:

• operating on the wrong patient;
• operating on the wrong body part, or the correct body part but the wrong side of the body;
• failing to administer the appropriate dosage of anesthesia;
• incorrect incisions which lead to severe blood loss;
• use of unsterile equipment;
• damage to nearby nerves or organs.

If you have suffered an injury as the result of a surgical error during a procedure or due to poor pre-operative planning, you need an attorney who will fight for your rights and ensure that you receive the compensation you deserve to feel whole again.

Representing clients who have been injured during surgery requires a team of lawyers, nurses and others trained to review the facts of these cases, including medical records. It can be very difficult to prove that even the most serious surgical error is the result of medical malpractice. That’s why you need attorneys on your side to investigate medical records and find the best medical experts to examine the extent of your injuries. At The Levin Firm Personal Injury Lawyers, we also work with highly-regarded experts to determine the type of medical malpractice and how and why it happened. At times, we will work with other law firms that have particular expertise to assure that our clients receive the most thorough and zealous representation.

When you or a family member or friend who has fallen victim to a surgical error due to medical malpractice, contact The Levin Firm Personal Injury Lawyers, who represent every client zealously in order to obtain the best results possible in each case.