Each year, an estimated 40 to 50 million U.S. adults undergo surgery. From minor to major surgeries, most of them go well. When surgeries don’t go as planned in California, the results can range from severe injuries to death.
Wrong-site surgery
The average hospital often deals with situations where staff must move fast. While neither is a valid excuse, long hours and tired employees can lead to a wrong-site surgery. Wrong-site surgeries occur when surgeons operate on the wrong part of a patient’s body. This type of medical malpractice can result in amputated limbs and removed organs.
Anesthesia errors
Sometimes, surgical errors start before a surgeon grabs a scalpel. Anesthesiologists play a vital role in preparing patients for surgery by administering anesthesia. Since anesthesia is a strong medication, patients must receive it at precise doses. Administering an anesthesia dose that’s too low causes a patient not being numb during surgery. Too much anesthesia in the bloodstream can lead to a patient’s death.
Wrong-patient surgery
Similar to wrong-site surgery, wrong-patient surgery happens when you receive a procedure meant for another patient. Depending on what procedures another patient needs, victims of wrong-patient surgery can go through harrowing post-surgery experiences.
Medical instruments and tools in patents
As impossible as it may sound, surgeons have left medical instruments and similar items inside patients after surgeries. Surgical procedures often require scalpels, scissors, forceps and sponges. Depending on the medical device and its location in a patient’s body, this situation can cause pain. It also carries the risk of damage to organs near the medical instrument.
Surgical errors often cause patients lots of mental and physical damage. Fortunately, medical malpractice survivors or their surviving loved ones have the right to seek justice against the offending party.