Fairfax, VA Surgical Errors Lawyer

Trusted Surgical Error Attorneys Protecting Patients Harmed by Negligence in Fairfax, Virginia

Surgery can be risky even when everything goes as planned. However, patients will be more likely to suffer harm if the proper procedures are not followed during surgery. Errors by surgeons or other personnel involved in a procedure can lead to injuries that may affect a patient's health or even put their life at risk. These issues may be addressed through medical malpractice claims, and providers may be held responsible for negligence that led to injuries.

When surgical malpractice occurs, a patient may require additional surgery to correct the issues that have occurred. Extended periods of hospitalization may be needed, and a person may experience health issues that could affect them for years or for the rest of their life. At Shevlin Smith, P.C., our attorney can provide legal help for victims of surgical malpractice. He will work to uncover negligence that led to injuries, and he will fight to obtain the compensation a person needs to address the ways they have been affected.

Errors Prior to Surgery

Some surgical errors may occur well before a procedure begins. The proper preparations must be made before a procedure, ensuring that potential risks are identified and addressed correctly. Failures during this phase can cause a patient to suffer harm, and they may include:

Failure to Obtain Informed Consent

Patients have the right to make informed decisions about whether to undergo surgery. To ensure that they can make these decisions, they must be provided with information about the planned procedure, its potential benefits and risks, other possible treatment options, and any other details they need to know. A surgeon who does not inform a patient about potential risks may be responsible for the harm a person suffers during or after the procedure.

Failure to Assess a Patient

Pre-operative assessments may be used to identify medical conditions and other factors that could affect a surgery. A patient with high blood pressure, a bleeding disorder, cardiac disease, or allergies to certain drugs may face risks that would not affect other patients. If the proper steps are not taken to identify potential risks, a patient may suffer an injury that could have been prevented.

Wrong-Patient and Wrong-Site Surgical Errors

When the proper steps are not taken when preparing for surgery, an operation may be performed on the wrong patient, or a procedure may be performed on the wrong part of the body. Pre-surgery safety checklists are meant to prevent these types of errors. A surgical site may be marked to ensure that a procedure is performed in the correct location. Pre-surgery verification may confirm the identity of a patient and the procedure that will be performed. Failure to follow the right steps can lead to catastrophic surgical errors.

Errors During Surgical Procedures

Improper Surgical Technique

Surgeons must follow the right steps during procedures, and if they fail to do so, they can harm patients. Errors may include failing to fully remove a tumor or damaging parts of the body near the site of the surgery, such as blood vessels, nerves, the bowels, the bladder, or other organs. A patient may experience excessive bleeding due to injuries to major arteries, or a punctured bowel may lead to a serious infection.

Foreign Objects

When a surgical instrument or other object is left inside a patient's body after a surgical procedure, this can cause serious injuries. Surgical sponges, needles, clamps, and other instruments may be left inside a patient's body, and they can cause infections, the formation of abscesses, obstruction of the bowels, internal bleeding, and ongoing pain.

Anesthesia Errors

Anesthesia is a crucial part of a surgical procedure. Anesthesia errors can put a person's life at risk. Administering too much anesthesia can cause heart problems, respiratory distress, or brain damage. Administering too little anesthesia may result in a patient regaining consciousness during surgery. Failure to monitor a patient's vital signs during surgery can prevent an anesthesiologist or surgeon from recognizing problems with anesthesia and taking action to prevent serious injuries.

Errors in Post-Surgical Care

The care a patient receives after surgery can help ensure that their health will be protected. Complications may develop while a person is recovering, and they will need to be addressed correctly. Injuries can occur when errors are made during the post-surgical period, such as:

Failure to Monitor for Complications

Nurses and other medical providers who provide care for post-operative patients will need to pay attention to potential complications that may arise. By recognizing the early signs of complications, they can take the proper actions to protect a patient's health. Issues such as post-operative bleeding, infections, pulmonary embolisms, or pneumonia may be recognized when a patient is properly monitored. However, serious injuries can occur if these issues are not addressed correctly.

Improper Wound Care

Infections can occur at the site where surgery was performed, but they can usually be prevented with appropriate wound care and infection control practices. If nurses or other personnel do not change dressings when necessary, monitor a patient for signs of infection, or administer antibiotics when required, a patient may contract a serious infection that could threaten their overall health.

Premature Discharge

A patient who is discharged from a hospital too early may develop serious complications while they are at home. When they do not have medical professionals monitoring their condition and are unable to receive immediate treatment for complications, they may suffer serious harm. If a patient is discharged when there are still concerns about post-operative complications or other issues that could affect their health, a facility may be held liable for its failure to provide the proper care.

Contact Our Fairfax Surgical Error Attorney

When a person has suffered serious harm because of a surgical error, the team at Shevlin Smith, P.C. can help determine who was responsible and take steps to obtain financial compensation. Contact our Fairfax, VA surgical malpractice lawyer at 703-591-0067 to set up a free consultation.