Knowing that you have to have surgery is a frightening experience. You have to wonder about the possible impacts that the surgery is going to have on your life. Worrying about the pain after the procedure and the recovery is also normal. What you might not want to think about is how surgical errors might impact your life.
It is the duty of the doctors and everyone in the operating room to keep you safe while you are being worked on. You won’t be able to speak up for yourself during this process, so you have to ensure that you are in good hands.
Even with the increase in publicity about surgical errors, some surgical centers and hospitals still don’t do the best job at protecting patients when they are under the knife. There need to be many checks and balances in place to help with the safety of people who are under anesthesia.
Verifying patient identity is the first step. This alone can help prevent a good number of errors. Once this is done, the doctor and nurses can ensure that they are doing the surgery on the right location. A double- or triple-check system can help out considerably with this. Some surgeons mark direction on the patient and have that person verify the body part that is being worked on.
As the surgery goes on, there is a lot to watch. The patient’s vital signs have to be monitored to verify that he or she is handling anesthesia in an appropriate manner. Blood loss and the removal of surgical tools also have to be watched.
There are many things that can go wrong with surgical procedures. If you are harmed during a surgery, you need to take the time to explore the options you have for seeking compensation. Filing a medical malpractice lawsuit might help you recover your financial losses and be able to afford the care you need into the future.
Source: OR Today, “How to Avoid Surgical Errors,” Don Sadler, accessed April 11, 2018
