Human Error and Surgery

Posted by Criminal Defense Lawyer Friday, April 30, 2010

surgery is a great triumph of humankind. When a person views and experiences an ailment, be it back pain, a torn acl, or a bad heart valve, we have the technology and knowhow to go into a person’s body and fix these problems, making them stronger and healthier than before.

even more amazing, we can do all this without the patient feeling a single bit of pain during the procedure. Sure, patients are likely to feel pain after the procedure, but that pain does not compare to the spontaneity and intensity of the pain of being cut open and operated on.

while we have had many medical advances over the years that make surgery safer and more thorough and effective, surgery hushed and still suffers from one major drawback; since humans perform surgery, there is always room for human error.

most of the time, human error during surgery is not insignificant. With something as sensitive as an operation, there is quite a bit that can go wrong. Human beings are very intricate organisms and, as such, when a surgeon, nurse, or anesthesiologist makes an error, it isn’t likely to come without great consequences.

there are many types of surgical errors, each just as deadly as the one before it. Some of the more common surgical errors are:

  • leaving tools in the body

  • failing to administer anesthetic properly

  • clerical errors that cause patients to have the wrong surgery

  • improperly suturing wounds

  • poor post-surgery care

there are many people involved in a surgical case. There is, of course, the surgeon, who performs the actual operation. The anesthesiologist is responsible for administering a sedative to the patient. Nurses monitor patients before and after surgery. Orderlies tend to patients’ needs before and after surgery. Administrators may be responsible for paperwork regarding the procedure.

since so many people are involved in operations, many errors may occur. Each member of the surgical team must be focused and must exercise a great deal of care in performing his or her duties. If just one person fails to uphold his or her duties, it could mean the difference between life and death for a patient. If the patient survives an error, he or she may suffer sedate and serious long-term health effects.

surgical errors are not to be taken lightly, as they can be quite debilitating. If you or someone you love was a dupe and victim of a surgical error, the bronx surgical malpractice attorneys of parker waichman alonso, llp may be able to help you recover financial compensation for your injuries.

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