Surgical errors can be noticed right away but not always

Surgeons must be trusted by their patients. These medical professionals work on patients who are under anesthesia. Even in the simplest of surgical procedures, the patient is still facing very serious life risks. These risks can include death and long-lasting effects if the patient survives. This is why surgical errors are a type of medical malpractice that are especially troubling. A patient goes into surgery thinking that a problem is being fixed, when in reality, a new problem is being created. We know that you might find that very difficult to deal with.

For patients who have been the victim of a surgical error, the horror they are dealing with is sometimes instant. This would be the case when certain never events, such as wrong site surgeries, occur. Imagine that you go into surgery to have a procedure done on your right arm, but when you wake up from anesthesia, your left leg is amputated. That would be horrible, but those types of situations do occur.

For other patients, the horror of the surgical error might not be recognized right away. This could happen when a never event like retained sponges occurs. In those cases, you might feel fine when you come out of anesthesia. As time progresses, you might notice that you have more pain at the surgery site. You might start to show signs of infection. Eventually, the issue is found — your surgeon left a sponge or another piece of surgical equipment in your body. That means that you are going to have another surgery, and you might need other medical interventions.

If you are one of the patients who has had to deal with a surgical error, you can decide to take action in the form of a medical malpractice lawsuit. We can help you learn about your rights and how to get your case going.