Surgical Errors

New Mexico residents who may have heard stories about surgical mistakes such as a sponge being left in a patient may be interested to know that such incidents are so rare they are referred to as "never events." This indicates that they are never supposed to happen,...

New Mexico patients may find interest in a Gallup research survey with a focus on pre-surgery education. The survey assessed whether patients felt they were informed by their doctors as to what to expect after their procedure, from medication to rehabilitation....

Newly-developed software may help to improve the outcomes of patients in New Mexico and around the country who undergo spine surgeries. Created by researchers at John Hopkins University, LevelCheck software can be used to help surgeons ensure that they operate on the...

According to research led by a doctor at Harvard Medical School, there were 174 cases of cutaneous injury during laser surgery between 1985 and 2012. In 146 of those cases, the patient's physician was listed as a defendant in related medical malpractice suits. This...

New Mexico comedy fans may be interested to learn that Melissa Rivers, daughter of deceased comedienne Joan Rivers, filed a lawsuit on Jan. 26 against the clinic that was accused of causing the comedienne's death. Rivers, aged 81, died Sept. 4 after going to an...

Having a stem cell transplant involves many risks, some of which could develop over time and cause problems long after the transplant is complete. New Mexico patients who are preparing for stem cell transplants could arm themselves with information about these...

In a medical malpractice case, there may be more than one party that can be held liable. In addition to the doctor who may have made an error, the hospital where the error occurred could also be held legally responsible. This is referred to as vicarious liability. For...

When a New Mexico patient needs to undergo a procedure, they may be apprehensive if their surgery is scheduled to be done at an outpatient surgery center. With the death of Joan Rivers, a famous comedian who died while undergoing an elective surgery at an outpatient...

New Mexico residents may seldom expect loved ones to suffer life-threatening complications while under a doctor's care. However, government studies show that bacterial blood infections, or sepsis, could pose a serious threat to your loved one's post-operative health...

Wrong-site surgeries are exceedingly uncommon in New Mexico and around the country. The overwhelming majority of medical procedures carried out are delivered accurately and executed correctly. However, that does not mean that no wrong-site surgeries occur. They are...