Surgical Error

Surgical Error

Normal human behaviour involves making errors, however when you’re a surgeon an error can cost a patient their life! There are many surgical errors including;

• making an anaesthesia error – too little given and the patient could wake during surgery, too much given could result in a lack of oxygen and possible brain damage
• cutting a nerve during the surgical procedure – injuries to a nerve can stop signals to and from the brain causing muscles to not function properly and potentially a loss of feeling in the injured area
• Operating on the wrong area of the body – most people when they are about to undergo surgery worry about taking time off work and the recovery process not waking up to discover the surgeon has operated on the wrong body part, removed a healthy organ, amputated the wrong limb
• leaving surgical materials inside the body – surgical objects commonly left inside a patient include sponges, swabs, scalpels, scissors, drain tips, clamps, gloves with consequences varying from harmless to fatal
• causing an infection from poor hygiene – surgical site infections (SSIs) resulting from incompliance with hand hygiene procedures and/or poor environmental cleanliness
• neglecting to monitor vital signs such as heart rate and blood pressure – such signs reflect stability and are crucial for predicting and preventing clinical deterioration

Surgical competency involves a combination of good decision making, team communication and technical skill. The occurrence of surgical error is multifaceted, sometimes it is insufficient communication at fault, the surgeon may not have communicated the correct dosage amount or the wrong body part/location may have been noted. The surgeon may not be fully prepared or may be fatigued. Incompetence or inexperience could also be a contributing factor.

When the appropriate level of care is not received and a patient falls victim to substandard treatment and a failure to follow strict established guidelines a medical negligence claim may be pursued whether that be an operation that was essential, elected or undertaken purely for cosmetic reasons.

Whilst admitting that all surgical procedures involve an element of risk by their very nature – hence the need to sign an informed consent – patients should always receive the best possible health care before, during and after their surgery. If you, a loved one or someone you know thinks they may have a claim for negligence please contact our specialist solicitors today to find out. Our solicitors have many years of experience and will support you every step of the way. 

Contact us today, either by calling us free on 0800 122 3130, or by requesting a free call back, whereby one of our team will contact you at a time of your choice, to discuss your situation.

We’re here to help, so contact us today.