Surgical Medical Malpractice

Medical malpractice is one of the worst medical problems a patient can experience. Medical malpractice is defined as professional negligence by either act or omission on the part of a health care provider in which the care deviates from the accepted standards of practice in the medical field and it causes injury or death to the patient.

One area of medical malpractice that is common today is surgical mistakes. Surgical mistakes can cause serious injury or even death to the patient involved in the procedure, which can cost the doctor, his practice or the hospital millions of dollars in lawsuits.

Surgical mistakes can include any of the following:
• Wrong-site surgery -- operating on the wrong part of the body
• Wrong surgical procedure -- amputating the wrong body part
• Surgical instrument left in the body -- scissors, knives, gloves, rags
• Surgery unrelated to the patient's diagnosis
• Wrong patient surgery
• Damage from a planned surgery -- the risk of the surgery was explained prior to surgery but this damage was not listed as a risk

An article in the Tampa Tribune claims that since 2003 the state of Florida's Board of Medicine has disciplined 42 doctors for surgical mistakes and in that same span medical centers reported 280 wrong site or wrong patient procedures.

Surgical mistakes are rising across the country, even though patients are signing consent forms prior to having the surgery performed, which outline the procedure that will take place. Some surgical mistakes can be life threatening or they can be detrimental to the person's health or overall well being since the patient will need to learn how to live after the mistake has been made.

If you, or someone you know, have been a victim of medical malpractice, fill out our form today. At The Rasansky Law Firm, we have experienced medical malpractice attorneys.