From medication errors that result in a patient taking the wrong prescription to carelessness during a medical operation, there are many types of medical malpractice that leave patients with serious challenges. However, surgical errors such as wrong-site surgery can be especially hard for victims and their family. When wrong-site surgeries occur, they may leave patients with a world of problems, including tremendous pain (physical and emotional), financial problems, and more. In some cases, these surgical errors even result in the loss of life. As a patient, it is important to be aware of the different types of surgical errors, such as wrong-site surgery, and immediately take action if you or a loved one falls victim to this serious mistake.
According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, wrong-site surgery involves a surgical operation that is performed on the wrong part of a patient’s body. In some cases, wrong-site surgery may occur when a surgeon performs a procedure on the incorrect side of a patient. For example, a surgeon may perform surgery on the wrong part of a patient’s spine. Or, a patient may need an operation on the right side of their body, but the surgeon mistakenly performs the operation on the left side.
For victims of wrong-site surgery, recovering from the mistake can be incredibly hard. With physical pain, financial problems, and even anger or depression, many victims of this error face a long path forward. As a result, negligent medical professionals have to be held liable for their errors.