Perforated Bowels Caused By Medical Malpractice

A perforated bowel can be a patient’s worst nightmare. When this occurs it can be a long road to recovery, including months in the hospital or on bed rest, many unpleasant operations or procedures, and even a visiting nurse or healthcare professional to help care for the patient. A perforated bowel can lead to permanent bowel resection with massive scarring and injury. A perforated bowel can even lead to the death of a patient, which can be a slow and very painful death.

But how do these occur?

A perforated bowel occurs during a medical procedure by a surgeon. The most common procedure is a colonoscopy, but it can also occur during other complicated procedures like a laparotomy, hysterectomy, appendectomy, and other related procedures. The surgeon is usually the first—and sometimes the only—person who sees the perforation.

When a bowel perforation occurs it can result in massive infections and sepsis. This is because the inside muck of the intestines outside where it should be can result in serious damage and infections. These infections can quickly spread and become difficult to treat. They can also become life-threatening in little to no time.

If a surgeon who perforates a bowel tries to hide it, it can easily mean the life of the victim is at stake. A patient cannot life for long with a perforated bowel, and the longer the physician tries to hide the perforation the longer the infection can fester inside of the patient.

If a bowel is perforated during a surgery, it is usually medical malpractice. This is because the standard of care is to not cause additional harm by perforating a bowel. A surgeon needs to use care to avoid causing this injury and, if it occurs, to immediately fix the issue. The only time where a bowel perforation may be acceptable is in an emergency situation where there are other issues at play.

If you or a loved one have suffered a bowel perforation, then you may have a medical malpractice case and be entitled to compensation. Shouldn’t you be compensated for your injuries? Shouldn’t doctors who hide bowel perforations be liable for their mistakes?