Most readers in Houston, Texas, can probably agree that undergoing surgery can be a very stressful and scary event. It requires patients to put all of their trust in just a small group of people, consisting of one or more surgeons, along with their medical staff. Normal concerns consist of surviving the surgery or recovering after it is over. But what happens if the surgeons remove something they were not supposed to? In those cases, a patient may be able to bring a medical malpractice lawsuit against the surgeons.
Biopsy mix-ups can result in a failure to diagnose
Many readers in Houston, Texas undergo tests at hospitals every year. They can be stressful, especially when patients are waiting to find out whether they have a serious disease. Some are rushed with a feeling of relief when they receive test results that indicate good news. Others end up facing a disappointing diagnosis. However, as a new study suggests, the patients in both situations may have received a misdiagnosis, due to a mix-up in the test results.
Researcher calls for public accounting of surgical errors
It may be alarming to readers in Houston, Texas, to know that at least 4,000 times a year in the United States, surgeons make serious mistakes such as performing an incorrect procedure or operating on the wrong body part of a patient. Even more alarming, is that in one in 15 of those cases, the patient dies as a result of the surgeon's mistake. So how can surgeons reduce these surgical errors? One researcher from Johns Hopkins says the answer is public accounting.
Cancer misdiagnosis may affect many Texans
Houston, Texas, cancer patients and their families know that early detection and treatment of cancer is critical to one's chances of surviving the disease. A doctor's failure to diagnose cancer can lead to a spread of the disease and delayed treatment. In many cases, misdiagnosis can be fatal. This is especially true if the cancer is aggressive or in an advanced stage of the disease.