Having surgery is one of the most vulnerable situations a patient will experience.

During the surgery, the patient is normally under anesthesia, which makes the patient completely dependent on the medical team conducting the surgery. The team includes the surgeon, anesthesiologist, and the nurse anesthesiologist. During a surgical procedure, there are a number of things that may go wrong. Whenever something goes wrong during a surgery, a medical malpractice lawsuit for surgical error may be filed by the patient against the medical professionals if they were negligent in performing their duties.

Common Surgical Errors

Wrong site surgery: The most common mistake committed during a surgical procedure is performing the operation on the wrong part of the body. For example, a hip joint replacement is supposed to be performed on the left side of the patient, and the doctor inadvertently performs the surgical procedure on the right hip joint. In such a case, the doctor may be held liable for medical negligence.

Nearby body organs are injured: While most surgical procedures are performed properly, there are some cases in which the aggressive actions of the surgeon may inadvertently injure neighboring body organs. Soft body tissues can endure light force, like a mild push, when the surgeon has to move the organ that is blocking the operation site. However, blood vessels and soft body organs may not survive the accidental cuts or punctures. Serious medical issues may develop if the nearby body organs are not treated after they get accidentally injured.

Surgical tools and instruments left inside the body: This surgical error may sound familiar to a large number of people. There are instances when a sponge, cotton swab, clamp, or surgical tool is left inside the body of the patient. It is surprising that surgical tools left inside the body of a patient remain undiscovered for some time. Although standard medical procedures require the inventory of all surgical instruments before and after a surgical procedure, there are instances when the nurse may miscount the tools or a member of the medical staff may deliberately conceal an unaccounted cotton swab to avoid getting reprimanded by the head of the surgical team.

Post-Operative Care Negligence

The most serious problem patients have to deal with following a surgical procedure is an infection at the site of the surgery. Improper post-operative care may be considered as negligence under specific conditions. This includes not providing appropriate care instructions to an outpatient or not cleaning the surgery site properly. In the same way, if a patient is not monitored properly for any complications after a surgical procedure, it may serve as the basis for a medical malpractice lawsuit.

Consulting a St. Louis Medical Malpractice Attorney

Patients who have experienced surgical injuries due to the negligent actions of a surgeon, anesthesiologist, or nurse anesthesiologist, or have received improper post-operative care may wish to consult an experienced St. Louis medical malpractice lawyer to get help in filing a medical malpractice lawsuit.