Understanding Operating Room Negligence
Surgical care can be lifesaving, and we trust surgeons and operating room staff with our health and well-being. Even when everything goes according to plan, surgery is stressful, but if you’re harmed by operating room negligence, the losses you suffer can be immense. Unfortunately, negligence in the operating room is all too common, and the outcome can directly affect your future. The experienced medical malpractice attorneys at Fanelli, Evans, & Patel are standing by to help.
Stages of Operating Room Negligence
Claims involving operating room negligence break down into basic categories.
Preoperative Negligence
Before you undergo surgery, a considerable amount of preparation must take place, including prepping the OR, the medical team, and you – as the patient. These steps help to pave the way toward a successful procedure and a positive health outcome, and any negligence can prove exceptionally dangerous.
Examples of errors that are common at this stage include all the following:
- Incorrect or delayed diagnosis
- Medication errors, including failing to assess allergies
- Inadequate assessment of the patient’s medical history
- Failure to adequately inform the patient of the risks involved
- Inadequate sterilization of surgical equipment, which is closely associated with dangerous infections
Surgical Negligence
Negligence can also occur during surgery. Common concerns include anesthesia errors. These extend to inadequately monitoring vital signs and complications from dangerous drug interactions. Failing to take the care necessary to protect nearby tissue and organs, as well as to protect against inadvertent nerve damage, also falls into this category. In addition, there are surgical negligence cases that should never happen, but do. Primary examples include:
- Operating on the wrong patient
- Operating on the wrong body part
- Operating on the wrong side of the patient’s body
- Performing the wrong surgery
- Leaving surgical instruments or sponges in the patient
Postoperative Negligence
Your need for care as a surgical patient extends well beyond the surgery itself, and negligence following surgery can be exceptionally dangerous. Examples include inadequate monitoring of vital signs and potential complications, inadequate wound care, and inadequate management of medications. Early discharge without appropriate instructions can also qualify as negligence.
Hospital Negligence
Sometimes, surgical room negligence is attributable to the medical facility itself. These cases generally involve failures in the hospital’s systems, procedures, or administrative practices – rather than negligence on the part of the involved medical professionals. Failure to hire qualified staff, failure to adequately maintain equipment, and the implementation of ineffective sanitary protocols all fit the bill.
Our Medical Malpractice Lawyers Can Help
Our Pottsville medical negligence attorneys at Fanelli, Evans & Patel appreciate the enormity of your losses related to OR negligence. And in response, we’re well prepared to advocate for your rights and rightful compensation fiercely. To learn more about what we can do to help, please don’t delay contacting us online or giving our firm a call at 570-622-2455 today.