Although surgical operations are supposed to save or improve lives, mistakes could cause terrible results. Errors during surgery may cause infections, lifelong damage, or even death. Typical reasons for such mistakes are miscommunication, tiredness, and neglect of correct procedures.
World-class hospitals and medical facilities are aplenty in Chicago. The stakes are high in this busy city where more than 2.7 million people rely on doctors. Those who suffer from these mistakes sometimes face life-altering consequences and need competent legal counsel. A Chicago surgical error lawyer guarantees justice in such instances.
Below are the types of surgical errors that could result in catastrophic injuries.
Wrong-Site Surgery
Wrong-site surgery occurs when an operation is carried out on the wrong body part. A surgeon might, for example, unintentionally work on the left knee rather than the right. Such mistakes can inflict permanent damage, slow down rehabilitation, and cause great emotional pain.
Many times, these mistakes result from poor team communication or insufficient preoperative inspections. Strict safety procedures, such as labeling the proper surgical location before the operation, can prevent this mistake.
Retained Surgical Instruments
One avoidable but somewhat common mistake is leaving surgical tools or materials inside a patient. Things like gauze, sponges, or clamps may remain inside the body and cause major organ damage or infections.
Usually, the cause of these mistakes is rushed surgery or inadequate inventory inspections throughout the operation. It requires further operations to remove the retained item, which can cause further complications to patients.
Anesthesia Errors
Severe repercussions, including brain injury, heart failure, or death, can occur due to anesthesia mistakes. While too little can cause the patient to awaken mid-surgery, too much anesthesia can cause lifelong damage.
Such mistakes result from miscalculations, poor monitoring, or neglect to evaluate the patient’s medical history. Extreme care must be used by anesthesiologists to guarantee correct dosing and attentive monitoring all during the operation.
Operating on the Wrong Patient
One frightening and totally avoidable error is operating on the wrong patient. Usually, it results from patient records being mislabeled or from not confirming patient identification. Those who suffer this mistake not only go through pointless surgery but also deal with consequences from surgeries they did not require.
Extensive identification systems help hospitals to avoid such mistakes. Before starting any procedure, surgical teams have to review all records and confirm patient information.
Equipment Malfunctions
Successful operations depend on surgical tools and equipment. Equipment breakdown can have disastrous consequences. Faulty equipment, such as broken cameras or failing scalpels, can cause permanent damage to patients.
Many times, mistakes result from staff lacking sufficient training or from inadequately maintained equipment. Two major ways to drastically reduce these risks are regular inspections and personnel equipment usage training.
Poor Hygiene Practices
Ignorance of appropriate hygienic practices during surgery could cause serious infections or even fatal diseases. Often the causes of surgical site infections (SSIs) are contaminated tools or unsterile surroundings.
Such errors arise from protocol breakdowns, including inadequate sanitation of the operating room or surgical tools. Prevention of these avoidable mistakes demands strict compliance with hygienic standards.
