SURGICAL COMPLICATIONS AND MISTAKES CAN BE DEVASTATING IF NOT DISCOVERED AND TREATED PROMPTLY

These are some of the most common surgical mistakes:

-Anesthesia problems

-Performing surgery on the wrong side of the body

-Puncturing an internal organ

-Disconnecting a Nerve

-Forgetting tools & materials in the body

-Inability to act promptly & appropriately in an emergency

-Falling short of following standard procedure

So often undisclosed surgical mistakes and complications are the cause of major patient medical disasters. Surgeons very commonly fail to see errors and complications that arise while performing operations. While known complications do occur, one of the most common mistakes is the doctor’s failure to see that an unintentional injury has been caused by the procedure and is causing the patient harm.

An example of medical problem that a physician sometimes fails to appreciate is a complication arising out of laparoscopic surgery . Laparoscopic surgery is also known as minimally invasive surgery (MIS) or keyhole surgery, and it is a relatively modern surgical procedure that involves a very tiny incision in the abdomen. Post-operatively, many laparoscopic surgery patients can develop complications that include infection, bleeding, additional corrective surgeries, and the possibility of death. If one of these known complications happens intraoperatively and the doctor recognizes it in a timely fashion, he often has the opportunity to take appropriate action, including obtaining additional assistance to fix the resulting difficulty before the operation is complete, and this can prevent such complications from spiraling out of control, into much more serious medical problems for the patient.

Lack of informed consent is another problem we occasionally see when it comes to surgical procedures. There are times when doctors fail to properly explain to their patients the potential problems that could occur while in the midst of a surgical procedure. When a patient is inadequately informed of such potential complications, the patient lacks enough information to determine whether or not the surgery is really their best option. When this sort of surgical mistake occurs, a "lack of informed consent" claim is appropriate.

Another type of surgical problem can occur as a result of exposure to improperly sanitized hospital equipment and hospital rooms before, during, or after an operation. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that about 2 million patients contract dangerous infections at hospitals. The costs of such infections are estimated at approximately $4.5 billion.

For more than 15 years we at Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys have been pursuing claims and lawsuits on behalf of those who have been seriously injured due to medical malpractice including surgery mistakes. If you believe you or a family member has been injured due to medical negligence, we have answers to many of your most pressing questions on this website. For more information, you should also download our FREE book, "