When a patient is scheduled for surgery, they have a reasonable expectation that the procedure will go smoothly, they will receive the care they need, and their medical condition will improve. While these are fair expectations, surgical errors can and do occur, sometimes putting patients at serious risk of harm.

If you or a loved one has been affected by such negligence, a Charlottesville surgical errors lawyer at the law office of MichieHamlett can help you pursue a medical malpractice claim. Call our team of talented medical malpractice attorneys today for a free consultation and the support you need.

Types of Surgical Errors

Surgical errors are often described as “never events,” which means they are medical errors that should never happen. Types of surgical errors include, but are not limited to:

  • Anesthesia errors. Giving a patient the correct amount of anesthesia is critical; giving too much could have serious consequences, including brain damage and other complications. Additionally, properly monitoring a patient post-operation for signs of complications related to anesthesia is necessary.
  • Wrong-site errors. Performing surgery on the wrong body part or the wrong side of the body isn’t common, but it does happen. Wrong-site errors can have devastating consequences.
  • Wrong-patient errors. Perhaps even more shocking than a wrong-site surgery is performing a surgery on the wrong patient. Patient mix-ups can happen and, when they do, the outcome can be disastrous.
  • Wrong-procedure errors. Similar to wrong-patient surgeries, a doctor may perform what they believe to be the correct surgery on the wrong patient. Mixing up patients’ charts can have fatal consequences in some cases.
  • Other errors. Other surgical errors might include leaving medical equipment within a patient after the surgery, failing to properly sterilize equipment, leading to patient infection, failing to provide a patient with adequate post-operative information, and more.

Preventing Surgical Errors

Most surgical errors are entirely preventable. Double-checking patients’ charts, confirming the surgery with the patient immediately before the operation, doing pre- and post-operative checks with the surgical team, marking the correct side of the patient prior to surgery, ensuring that all surgical equipment is sterilized and accounted for, and monitoring the patient before, during, and after surgery are all necessary. When the failure to do these things results in a surgical error and a patient incurs costs or suffers harm that they otherwise would not have, a patient may have a viable medical malpractice claim, and our lawyers are available to advocate for that patient’s rights.

Call Our Charlottesville Surgical Errors Lawyers Today

Being the victim of a surgical error is overwhelming, especially when it leads to serious harm, extensive medical expenses, pain and suffering, and other losses. At the law office of MichieHamlett, a Charlottesville surgical errors lawyer can guide you through the process of understanding your rights, filing a claim, and holding the negligent surgeon or hospital accountable. For legal assistance and dedicated support, contact us today to schedule a free consultation. We are ready to begin working on your case.