The prospect of having to undergo surgery can naturally make anyone in Houston nervous. After all, most surgical procedures present certain risks. While some of these risks are unavoidable, concerning stories arise regarding surgical errors that harm patients or could even prove fatal.
For example, leaving surgical instruments, such as sponges, gauze or scalpels inside a person receiving surgery takes place annually anywhere from 4,500 to 6,000 times. This could lead to a worsened condition, including infection and organ damage, and the need for a second surgical procedure to remove the medical instrument.
Wrong-side surgery is also an issue. Safety procedures, such as marking the part of the body that should be operated upon, doesn’t always prevent wrong-side surgery. Sometimes, physicians do not realize they have made such an error until they are well into the surgical procedure. In addition, sometimes organs are removed unnecessarily. For example, a person may have an organ removed without it being tested for the disease at issue. Sometimes, a person might not even be told that an organ was going to be removed.
When people are the victims of surgical errors such as these, it can change the trajectory of their life forever. They may need to undergo additional medical procedures and may suffer complications that can last a lifetime. These situations are understandably frustrating or even traumatic. For these reasons, many people choose to pursue a medical malpractice claim. If it can be shown that the surgeon was negligent and did not meet a certain duty of care, then a patient may be compensated for damages.