Surgery Errors Documented in Medical Study
Surgeons make surgery errors more than 4,000 times each year, according to a Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine study published online in the journal Surgery, reported the Wall Street Journal. The study used data from medical malpractice judgments and out of court settlements.
Prior studies have shown that many patients never file claims after surgery errors. Not all items left behind after surgery are discovered. Typically, they are found only when a patient experiences a complication after surgery, such as an infection or pain after surgery, and efforts are made to find out the cause. As many as one in three or four times a sponge is left in a patient may never be discovered. Regrettably, many surgery errors are entirely preventable.
Types of Surgery Errors that are Preventable
Many surgery errors are preventable. Here are some that occur far too often, even with experienced surgeons:
- Sponge left in after surgery.
- Instruments left in patients after surgery.
- Wrong site surgery.
- Surgery on the wrong patient.
Ways to Prevent Injuries and Deaths from Surgery Errors
Hospitals have been developing safety programs to reduce surgery errors. Some of these safety programs include:
- “Timeouts” before surgery to make sure they have the right patient, or are about to operate on the right body part.
- New technology, such as bar-coding and wand-like scanners waved over a patient, allows surgical teams to account for all sponges and other instruments used in a procedure.
- Using indelible ink to mark the site of the surgery before the patient goes under anesthesia.
Maryland Medical Malpractice Lawyer
Medical malpractice attorney Jonathan Scott Smith has been helping injured people for more than 30 years. He has handled successfully medical malpractice cases, including cases involving surgery errors, such as where a sponge was left in a patient and where a sponge was left in the abdomen after surgery.
Mr. Smith’s extensive trial experience — and track record of successful Past Results — has earned him the recognition of his peers, with an AV® Preeminent™* Peer Review Rating in the Martindale-Hubbell peer review rating process, Maryland Super Lawyer, and a 10.0 Superb AVVO rating. These are the highest ratings possible for legal skill, ethical practice, lawyer’s years in practice, disciplinary history, professional achievements and industry recognition.
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Mr. Smith has many years of experience working with medical experts, medical records, and medical data. He fights hard for his clients. That’s why clients think so highly of him.
If you or a loved one has suffered a serious injury because of a surgery errors, including a sponge was left in the body, a sponge was left in the abdomen, or a surgical instrument was left in the body, contact us.