Due to the life-or-death nature of their work, surgeons are some of the most highly trained professionals in the medical industry. However, even after years of education and hours of practice, surgeons can still make mistakes. Some of the most common surgical errors include:
- Administrating improper amounts of anesthesia
- Leaving foreign object (e.g., sponge, surgical instrument, or towel) inside patient’s body
- Operating on wrong part of the body
- Performing unnecessary surgeries
- Using unsanitary surgical tools and causing infection
- Failure to address complications post-surgery
Filing a medical malpractice suit
If you were injured because your surgeon made an error during surgery, you may be able to file a medical malpractice claim against them. Proving medical malpractice requires you to establish:
- Negligence: Surgeon breached their duty to the patient
- Causation: Surgeon’s negligence caused the patient to suffer harm
- Damages: Patient suffered harm
Many medical procedures have potentially dangerous outcomes, so it can be difficult to prove that the surgeon’s negligence was the cause of the harm. Expert testimony can be helpful to establish the accepted standard of care in the medical community, whether your surgeon adhered to the standard, and the likelihood of the outcome/harm that occurred.
Going under the knife is physically and emotionally stressful enough by itself. Your surgeon’s mistakes should not be the reason for any additional stress and injury. If your surgeon’s mistake has caused you harm, consider speaking to an attorney as soon as possible. Your attorney can advise you whether you have a strong case for medical malpractice.
