Legal Remedies For Surgical Errors

Surgical errors are a frequent source of medical malpractice claims. When surgeons fail to exercise reasonable care in treating their patients, serious injury or death can result.

At Garau Germano, P.C., we have substantial experience in legal claims related to medical malpractice surgical errors. We have the resources and skill necessary to pursue these cases, and we can work with medical experts to prove where the surgeon’s negligence and the harm it caused the patient. We serve clients throughout Indiana.

Examples Of Surgical Errors

Surgical errors occur in many forms. Many times, the error is caused by the surgeon’s failure to properly identify a structure before cutting it. For instance, in removing a gallbladder, a surgeon may not take the appropriate steps to identify the common bile duct and will mistakenly cut that vital structure, causing immense damage to the patient.

Other surgical error malpractice cases arise from the surgeon’s failure to recognize that a complication has occurred during the surgery and to take timely steps to address that complication. Nicking the bowel during abdominal surgeries is frequently a risk of the surgery that can occur without negligence on the part of the surgeon. However, a surgeon may be negligent if he or she fails to promptly recognize that the bowel has been nicked and fails to swiftly take steps to repair the injury.

Anesthesia Errors

Proper anesthesia is a critical part of a safe and successful surgery. Errors can have terrible consequences. Too little anesthesia can cause a patient to wake up during their procedure. Being aware of what’s happening to you is traumatic enough, let alone experiencing the pain that was supposed to be dulled. Too much anesthesia impedes oxygen flow throughout a patient’s body, which can result in brain damage.

Wrong Site

Wrong-site surgery errors happen when a patient has their procedure performed on the wrong part of their body, such as the wrong limb. For example, the patient needed their left leg amputated below the knee, but the surgeon amputated the right leg. 

Wrong Procedure

Wrong procedure surgery errors happen when a patient gets a different procedure than the one they need or the wrong surgery. For example, the patient got heart surgery when they needed surgery on their spine.

Wrong Patient

Wrong patient surgery errors happen when surgeons perform a patient’s procedure on the wrong person, resulting in an unnecessary surgery. These errors can result from patients sharing similar names or confusion in time slots.

Why Surgical Errors Happen

Many things factor into surgical mistakes, including:

• Medical negligence
• Poor communication
• Poor organization
• Oversight of standard protocol
• Fatigue in medical staff

Regardless of whether the reason for the error is understandable, surgical negligence is never acceptable.

Contact our surgical errors lawyer immediately at 317-978-9973 if you’ve suffered an error during surgery. Our surgical malpractice lawyers can help you explore your legal options and seek justice.

Preventing Surgical Errors

Preparing for your surgery the right way can help to reduce concerns and give you more confidence in the process. However, it is critical that you communicate with your surgeon to verify information and confirm that you fully understand the surgery’s purpose and proposed outcome. While the medical team implements protocols designed to protect the health and well-being of patients in an effort to eliminate these costly errors. Patients can also play a critical role by asking the right questions in the time leading up to their surgery. Asking questions can help prevent surgical errors. Before your procedure, ask your surgeon the following questions:

• What kind of surgery am I getting?
• What is the site of the procedure?
• How will anesthesia work during the surgery?
• How many of these procedures have you performed before?
• What are the risks associated with the surgery?
• Are there any alternative procedures I could be a candidate for?

Confirming the above information with your physician can help lower the risk of a mistake.

If you’ve fallen victim to a surgical error or a surgery gone wrong don’t hesitate to call our experienced surgical errors lawyers at 317-978-9973 or by filling out our online form to discuss your options. 

Examples Of Cases We Have Handled

Some examples of cases involving surgery mistakes that our surgical errors attorneys have pursued successfully include:

• A surgeon performing a mediastinoscopy negligently cuts an artery, resulting in the patient’s death.
• A surgeon fails to recognize signs and symptoms of a bowel perforation following an abdominal surgery, resulting in the patient’s death.
• A surgeon performing a hernia repair mistakenly cuts an artery, leading to massive blood loss, multiple surgeries, and permanent impairment for the patient.

If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of a surgeon’s negligence, please contact the Indianapolis surgical error lawyers at our firm today for a free consultation. There are never any fees until we recover compensation for you.

Talk To A Surgical Mistake Lawyer Today

A mistake during surgery is devastating. Seeking justice and compensation for the incident with support from a surgical malpractice lawyer can help. Call our law firm at 317-978-9973 or use our online contact form to arrange a free consultation.