Trauma Surgical Errors / Medical Malpractice Lawyers

When a patient seeks or requires a surgical procedure, they are typically informed about risks associated with the surgical procedure. Practically all surgeries carry some risk of anesthesia reactions, blood clots, infection, cardiovascular complications, and healing complications. However, patients who undergo surgery do not typically anticipate surgical errors. Surgical patients reasonably believe that the surgeon and medical team performing the procedure are competent, experienced, and prudent enough to perform the surgery without error.

Unfortunately, surgical errors are not as uncommon as we would like to believe. Thousands of people are injured every year by surgical errors related to medical negligence.  According to the Institute of Medicine, about 98,000 hospital patients are killed every year as a direct result of medical malpractice. Medical negligence, or malpractice, involves a medical professional's failure to exercise the skill, care, and prudence necessary to prevent causing a patient injury or illness. Surgical errors are some of the most shocking and devastating of all medical mistakes. 

A majority of surgical errors occur during the procedure itself. Surgical errors involving anesthesia are often life threatening, posing the risk of:

• permanent
• brain damage
• asphyxia
• coma
• organ damage
• cardiovascular problems
• death

Some examples of the most common devastating surgical errors made by negligent, careless, or inexperienced medical professionals include:

• Incorrect incisions
• Use of un-sterile equipment
• Damage (i.e. puncture or perforation) to nearby organs
• Nerve damage
• Polonged surgery

Some cases of medical malpractice involve surgical instruments or sponges being left in a patient to cause serious post-operative damage. Between 60 and 70 cases of wrong site surgery are reported every year. One of the most drastic of surgical errors, wrong site surgery involves operating on the wrong part of a patient or the wrong patient altogether.

Surgical errors can also occur in the post-operative phase. Substandard aftercare can lead to infection, septic shock, delayed healing, and other life threatening medical consequences.

While surgical errors can be made during any procedure, they are more likely during gastric bypass surgery, laparoscopic procedures, plastic surgery, and obstetric procedures.

If you were injured due during surgery or in the care of a physician in Pennsylvania or elsewhere in the state, please contact Munley, Munley & Cartwright. Our goal is to provide exceptional legal services to our clients. We strive to achieve the highest standard of excellence for the protection of individual rights through team work and the use of our considerable resources and experience.

If you have been injured as a result of a surgical error or have experienced the wrongful death of a loved one due to medical malpractice, Munley, Munley & Cartwright, of Scranton, Pennsylvania can help you.