Medical Malpractice – Surgical Errors

The most common area of medical malpractice is the general area known as surgical errors. This can be anything from cosmetic or reconstructive surgery gone wrong to general surgery that has gone wrong. Most people do not even think of the possibility of surgical errors occurring, as surgeons are considered to be the elite of the medical profession. However, human and errors can occur and unfortunately a high percentage of surgical errors are fatal.

Some surgical errors seem comical, but are definitely not funny to the patient to whom it has happened. Common examples include; operating on the wrong limb, forgetting a surgical instrument or material (such as gauze or swabs) inside the patient, or operating on the wrong organ. More serious errors include puncturing or perforating organs, especially bowel or bladder - something which is especially common during endoscopic procedures – or causing nerve damage which can lead to numbness or even loss of motor skills.

However, surgical errors are not limited to the surgeon themselves, it can involve other professionals working in the operating room, such as the anesthetist. Medical malpractice by anesthetists could include: failure to properly monitor the patient during surgery, improper use of anesthetic drugs, overdose or, in worst case scenarios, overdose leading to cerebral anoxia and death. Although not all surgical errors are due to negligence, most can be the basis for a medical malpractice suit.