Many Indiana residents may have a fear of undergoing surgery. The reasons behind these apprehensions can vary from person to person, but the possibility of mistakes made during procedures often act as a leading cause. You certainly have the right to feel hesitant toward operations as many people do suffer negative effects from medical malpractice.
One common surgical error that occurs relates to surgeons or other medical professionals leaving a surgical tool behind after the procedure. When such a mistake occurs, you as a patient could suffer significant negative effects, such as infection and additional surgeries.
Reasons for occurrence
Many factors could contribute to a doctor leaving behind a foreign object. Distraction could easily result in a surgeon or other professional overlooking the missed tool. Reports also indicated that this type of error was nine times more likely to occur if the surgical procedure took place due to an emergency. Additionally, you may face a four times higher chance of suffering from this mistake if your procedure underwent unexpected changes.
The environment of the medical center at which the procedure takes place could also have an impact on mistakes. If the facility has a fast pace setting with multiple distractions and lack of effective communication, the odds of suffering from a medical mistake such as a retained object may increase.
Attending to an object
If medical staff members do leave an object behind, you may need additional surgery or other procedures in order to retrieve the object. In many cases, this may cause further distress to you and your body, and you may suffer more hardships than if you had simply undergone your initial procedure.
Prevention
If doctors, nurses and other medical staff take the time to count tools and account for each item after surgery, the likelihood of a retained object may decrease considerably. Most medical facilities have procedures in order to carry out such actions, but unfortunately, staff members may not always follow these protocols as necessary.
Legal action
In the aftermath of such a medical mistake, you may have many hardships with which to contend. Those difficulties could range from physical to mental to financial challenges, and because these issues can lead to significant personal struggles, you may wish to determine whether pursuing compensation for the error could work in your best interests. Gaining information on medical malpractice claims may help you with such an endeavor.