Six Types of Complications from Surgery due to Negligence

Medical malpractice kills or injures thousands of people every year. While there are many different kinds of medical malpractice, one of the most common situations you could experience is a complication from surgery. Even within this category, there are a number of different difficulties you may have encountered. Here are some of the most common complications from surgery:

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Retained Foreign Part: It's a story straight from an urban legend ? a man has his appendix remove and the pain only gets worse after he gets him. After a few days of agony, he goes back to his doctor and an x-ray reveals that there is a huge surgical clamp still inside him! It sounds like an unreal story, but this kind of thing actually does happen. When they're in a hurry or not paying attention, surgeons can leave all kinds of items behind ? not just clamps, but also tweezers, retractors, gauze, tubes or ties, scopes, needles, and forceps. If not removed right away, these foreign objects in the body can cause pain, infection, and injury to other organs.

Unplanned Removal of an Organ: Sometimes, doctors get too aggressive with their knives, and when that happens, they could remove organs that they never intended on removing in the first place. When you're opened up for an issue like cancer or a tumor, when a doctor sees the extent of the damage, he or she may make the choice to remove more tissue than originally planned in order to save your life. In some cases, though, doctors can be overzealous in their need to remove organs or need to remove an organ after damaging it during surgery. No matter what the case, if organs were removed during surgery without your consent before going under or the consent of the person designated as your proxy, you should talk to a medical malpractice lawyer.

Wrong Patient: In large hospitals, it is easy for records to get crossed. If the wrong doctor comes to your operating room, you may be mistaken for another surgery. Now, there are supposed to be protocols that protect this from happening, but some doctors are rushed and skip the preliminary stuff to save time. If you're mistaken for another patient, you could receive surgery that you don't need, changing your life forever.

Wrong Side: Miscommunications in a hospital can have dire consequences. One such consequence is that the surgeon operates on the wrong side of the body. Sometimes, the results are small, but there can also be really devastating. Imagine, for example, the result if your doctor accidentally amputates the wrong leg. Whether the mistake is big or small, you're entitled to compensation.

Laceration, Perforation, or Tear: During surgery, any number of things could go wrong. Unfortunately, lacerations, perforations, tears, and other mistakes can lead to major medical problems that last the rest of your life. With an incorrect cut or wrong movement, you could lose a limb, become paralyzed, or develop an infection. This happens more often than you think, in part because doctors often work long hours with little sleep.

Wrong Surgery: It may seem next to impossible to receive the wrong surgery, but it does happen, especially when doctors are tired. Medical names or processes can also be similar-sounding, leading to mistakes. If you're given the wrong surgery, you could have medical problems for the rest of your life or even die.

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Medical malpractice is scary. The threat of a problem shouldn't make you avoid surgery if you really need it, but if there is a mistake made, you should talk to a medical malpractice lawyer right away to learn about your rights. This part of personal injury law can help you get the compensation you need to deal with the medical complications and pain.

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