Going in for surgery can be a very frightening experience. While it is very likely that an operation will be free of complications, we know that there are risks with any surgical operation. But if and when something does go wrong, it can be very difficult for New Jersey patients and their families to figure out what went wrong and who may be to blame for a surgical error.
In many cases, complications that arise during a procedure are out of a doctor’s hands. There may be abnormalities or issues that are not detected until a surgery is underway. Risk factors like obesity, smoking or high blood pressure could contribute to complications with anesthesia, which could cause problems during an operation. But there are certainly times when a surgical error stems from negligence, and this is when it can be appropriate to file a medical malpractice claim.
For example, if a doctor has made decisions during an operation that a different, competent doctor would not have made, it may be an example of malpractice. This could mean taking unorthodox or unapproved approaches to a routine surgery, taking unnecessary risks or performing a procedure without having the proper skills or training to do so.
Failing to provide a standard level of expected care could also be an example of surgical negligence. This could include operating on the wrong body part, leaving surgical instruments inside of a patient or failing to properly monitor a patient’s heath during an operation.
Each of these events has happened in an operating room and each of them can put a patient’s life in danger. In many cases, these mistakes are tied to negligent medical staff members who can be held accountable for the injuries or illnesses that resulted from the errors. Rather than try to deal with the damage of a surgical error alone, patients and their families can work with an attorney to pursue a malpractice claim in order to pursue the compensation a victim may deserve.
Source:Â Voxxi, “Why surgeries go wrong and who is to blame,” Hope Gillette, Jan. 15, 2014
