Wrong Patient Surgery Can Be Very Dangerous

It is common in hospitals across New York to perform surgeries for a variety of health conditions.  While most surgeries will have little to no complications, in some cases the complications can be significant.  These complications can be the result of wrong patient surgery.

Wrong patient surgery can result due to:

• Two patients who have the same name
• Two patients who are undergoing similar procedures at the same time
• A patient is unable to tell the operating team of the error
• Poor preoperative planning
• Lack of institutional controls
• Mistakes in communication between the patient and the surgeon
• The surgeon fails to exercise due care
• Failure to perform a “time out” where the entire operating time has a brief meeting where the staff discusses who the patient is, the procedure, and where on the body the surgery is to take place

It can be dangerous when a surgery is performed on the wrong patient.  The risks involved depend on the health background of the patient and the type of surgery that is performed and the type of surgery that the patient was supposed to receive.  While in most cases the harm isn’t fatal, it can still be very serious.  Additionally, while performing the wrong surgery may not be deadly, it can result in immediate and long-lasting health problems.

When a healthcare professional makes an error, such as wrong site surgery, he or she is usually deemed to have acted negligently.  Negligence is when the healthcare professional fails to perform his or her duties with the standard of care that is generally accepted by the rest of their medical community.

Wrong patient surgery is considered to be a gross violation of the standard of care and it should never happen.  If you have been the victim of a wrong patient surgery, then the surgeon who performed the surgery may be liable for the injures or harm that resulted due to the negligence.

If negligence can be proven in a medical malpractice lawsuit, then you may be able to recover damages for medical expenses, lost wages, physical pain and suffering, and emotional pain and suffering.  If your loved one has died due to a wrong patient surgery, then you may be able to recover compensation for loss of companionship, the lost wages of the deceased, funeral expenses, and other expenses through a wrongful death claim.  Contact an experienced Kingston, New York medical malpractice attorney as soon as possible to evaluate your case.

But what do you think?  I would love to hear from you!  Leave a comment or I also welcome your phone call on my toll-free cell at 1-866-889-6882 or you can drop me an e-mail at jfisher@fishermalpracticelaw.com.  You are always welcome to request my FREE book, The Seven Deadly Mistakes of Malpractice Victims, at the home page of my website at www.protectingpatientrights.com.