You trust your medical team to provide the best care during surgery. However, even with highly trained professionals, mistakes can happen. Understanding common surgical errors may help you be more informed and proactive about your health care.
Below are some of the most frequent surgical errors and how they occur.
Wrong-site surgery
One of the most alarming surgical errors is operating on the incorrect body part. This could mean performing surgery on the wrong side of the body, the wrong organ or even the wrong patient. While it may seem unbelievable, these mistakes happen. They often result from miscommunication, inadequate preoperative verification or rushed procedures.
To prevent this, hospitals may use a “time-out” system. This involves the entire surgical team pausing before the operation to confirm the patient’s identity, the procedure and the correct site. Patients could also help by verifying information with their doctors and nurses before surgery.
Retained surgical items
Another common error is leaving surgical tools or materials inside a patient’s body after closing the incision. These items, known as “retained surgical items,” may include sponges, needles or larger instruments. They may cause severe complications like infections, pain and the need for additional surgeries.
Hospitals use various methods to prevent this. These may include carefully counting all items before and after surgery and using X-rays to check for retained objects. However, human error can still occur, especially during long or complex procedures.
Anesthesia errors
Anesthesia errors are another critical concern in surgery. These could include administering the incorrect amount of anesthesia or failing to monitor a patient’s vital signs properly during the procedure. Such mistakes may lead to serious complications. These could include brain damage and organ failure. It could even be fatal in severe cases.
To minimize these risks, anesthesiologists undergo extensive training and use sophisticated monitoring equipment. As a patient, providing a complete medical history, including any allergies or previous reactions to anesthesia is crucial.
Understanding these risks and your rights as a patient may help you ask the right questions. You could also be more involved in your care.
If you or a loved one encounter errors during surgery that may lead to health complications, consider seeking legal advice. An attorney could help determine if you qualify for filing a medical malpractice claim.
