Surgery is an intricate and delicate medical process, which demands precision, skill, and extreme care for its success. Unfortunately, mistakes do occur from time to time that have serious repercussions for patients and healthcare providers alike. Let's explore common surgical errors as well as their legal ramifications when they happen.

Common Surgery Mistakes

• Wrong-Site Surgery
  One of the most dangerous errors occurs when surgery is conducted on an incorrect part or patient. These errors often stem from communication breakdowns, failure to verify patient identity, or insufficient pre-operative planning.
• Misuse of surgical instruments
  Refusing to take out clamps or sponges left inside of patients after surgery can be an especially disastrous error, leading to infections, internal damage, and the need for additional surgeries.
• Anesthesia errors
  Mistaken anesthetic administration can have disastrous repercussions, including patient awareness during surgery or allergic reactions that lead to serious long-term health concerns and even death. Anesthesia errors should always be handled carefully and administered by established best practices to minimize harm and potential risk for long-term harm or even potential harm - in some cases, they even result in death!
• Infections and postoperative complications
  Poor sterilization practices or subpar postoperative care can result in infections. Medical staff could cause unnecessary suffering by failing to create a sterile environment for their patients.

Legal Implications

Medical Malpractice Lawsuits
When surgical errors occur, victims often file legal actions against the healthcare professionals responsible. Patients seeking compensation for their costs, wages lost due to surgery errors and pain and suffering may file medical malpractice suits to recover some or all of the compensation owed them from healthcare professionals responsible.

Negligence and Standard of Care
To successfully file a medical malpractice suit, the plaintiff must show that the healthcare provider breached the standard. They must demonstrate that surgeons or medical staff failed to perform at an acceptable level of competency expected in their fields causing harm to patients.

Expert Witnesses

Medical malpractice lawsuits rely on expert witnesses who can testify to the standard of care within their community and help the court establish whether a surgeon's actions deviated from accepted practices, leading to injuries to patients. Such experts provide important testimony during court hearings.
Statute of Limitations - Individuals seeking legal recourse should be aware of their jurisdiction's statute of limitations, as failure to file your lawsuit within the set period could cause it to be dismissed outright.

Settlements and Insurance
Many healthcare providers carry malpractice insurance that covers legal costs and possible settlements, while negotiated settlements may be used to resolve lawsuits to save both time and money from going to trial.

Surgery errors can cause both physical and psychological trauma for patients, and medical malpractice suits have often been filed against the healthcare providers involved. With an ever-evolving healthcare industry, medical professionals must prioritize patient safety by adhering to standards of care while keeping communication channels open to prevent surgical errors that can have legal ramifications.

If you want to consult one of our professional lawyers who specializes on injury problems or an accident problem, contact Bautista LeRoy LLC now at 816-221-0382 or email [email protected]. Our office is committed to help victims of accidents or injuries in Kansas City. Serving Kansas City, MO and KS as well as surrounding areas of Benton County and St. Louis.