Though it may be difficult to imagine, surgical mistakes occur at a high rate and account for many of the adverse events that happen in hospitals. In fact, most medical malpractice claims in hospitals involve surgical errors, and at least 4,000 such mistakes occur in the U.S. each year. One of the most shocking errors is when a surgeon operates on the wrong body part. Other common mistakes include hemorrhaging lacerations caused during robotic surgery.

Surgical errors can be serious and even deadly, leading to internal bleeding, organ damage, nerve damage and paralysis, organ failure, and other life-threatening conditions. Many patients must undergo additional procedures to repair the damage from the botched surgery or to perform the correct operation that should have been completed initially. When the original procedure was critical or emergency-related, the patient’s health is even more precarious since multiple surgeries in close succession increase the risks of complications.

At MichieHamlett, you will find a Virginia medical malpractice law firm with record-setting settlements and jury verdicts in personal injury cases. Surgery, like other medical treatments, does not guarantee complete safety or success. If your procedure failed to achieve its purpose or left you in worse condition, you may question whether it was an unavoidable outcome or the result of negligence. A Roanoke surgical errors lawyer can investigate the circumstances and determine whether malpractice occurred. Our seasoned medical malpractice attorneys handle all forms of surgical errors in Virginia hospitals and outpatient surgery centers, including:

  • Wrong-site surgery
  • Delayed surgery
  • Unnecessary surgery
  • Retention of a foreign object inside the body
  • Organ perforation or puncture

Why Do Surgical Errors Happen?

Not all surgery mistakes happen in the operating room. Surgical errors can occur before surgery (prepping the wrong patient or wrong body part), during surgery (accidentally nicking an organ or blood vessel), or after the operation (postoperative infections). Leading reasons for surgical mistakes include the following:

  • Lack of training and education – Surgeons need years of supervised practice and training to perform this highly specialized medical practice, but training and education is not always adequate depending on the school or residency program
  • Lack of communication between the surgeon, the anesthesiologist and other surgical staff
  • Lack of communication between doctors, nurses and the patient
  • Overbooked surgeons or operating rooms, leading to rushed procedures
  • Lack of or inadequate hospital protocols and systems to prevent errors
  • Human factors – staff are tired, distracted, incompetent, etc.

How Can Hospitals Prevent Surgical Errors From Occurring?

Perhaps the most tragic aspect of surgical errors is that they cause devastating harm yet remain easily preventable. Hospitals can implement simple, commonsense measures to stop many of these mistakes. Hospital administrators must create these protocols and promote a safety culture where staff consistently practice and enforce them. Some of these measures include:

  • Pause before surgery and double-check that you have the right patient, the right surgery, and the right body part on the correct side of the body. Confirm the patient’s identity and intended procedure before inducing anesthesia and again before making the first incision.
  • Count all instruments before beginning the operation and again before leaving the OR, making sure all clamps and sponges are accounted for.
  • Speak up if you see something wrong. Surgeons are often the smartest person in the room, and they know it, but don’t let their ego or personality get in the way of questioning their performance when a patient’s health hangs in the balance.
  • Remove distractions like personal cell phones and digital devices. These devices have no business in the operating room.
  • Make sure all relevant x-rays and other imaging are at hand. Don’t rely on memory as to the specifics of the operation on the particular patient.
  • Conduct a preoperative risk assessment to identify and manage patients who might be at risk of cardiac arrest or other complications during surgery.
  • Ensure the presence of adequate, trained staff.
  • Don’t overbook doctors or operating rooms, and don’t rush procedures.
  • Be mindful of the time and don’t take any longer than necessary to complete the operation.
  • Avoid using multiple surgeons to perform multiple procedures in one operation.

Speak With a Roanoke Surgical Errors Lawyer Today

If something went wrong during an operation and you are not satisfied with the explanation the hospital has given you, it is important to discuss the matter with an experienced attorney. At MichieHamlett, we provide a no-cost, confidential consultation to hear your concerns and explain how we believe you should proceed. Contact us today to speak with a Roanoke surgical errors lawyer about a possible surgical mistake at a Virginia hospital or surgery center.