Hospitals and surgical centers are places of healing. Patients willingly go to these medical facilities to receive treatment for their medical conditions. Every patient enters one of these facilities with the anticipation that the surgery they receive will provide them with relief. No one, however, comes into a surgical setting and expects to be a victim of surgical errors.

Sadly, surgical errors do occur. These errors can lead to life-changing injuries for the patient. Even if the error only causes a minor injury that can eventually be corrected or treated, medical negligence has still occurred. If you have been harmed by a surgeon through a negligent action, you will need to speak to a personal injury lawyer in OKC about your rights to receive compensation.

Types Of Surgical Errors

As injury received under the care of a medical professional is considered medical malpractice. When it comes to surgical negligence, there are six common types of injuries that personal injury attorneys see most often. These include:

 

Wrong Site Surgery

If the surgeon performs surgery on the wrong site, this is obvious malpractice. There have been many stories that circulate about people having the wrong surgery performed on them, and most people believe them to be untrue. Unfortunately, wrong site surgeries do occur. Surgeons or other medical professionals that are helping prepare the patient for surgery may mark the wrong area or use the wrong medical charts.

 

Wrong Patient Surgery

While this is the least common type of error in surgery, it has still happened. Patient charts are mixed up, and the patient receives the wrong surgery. It happened more in the past when digital records and ID bracelets were not used in these medical settings.

 

Surgical Equipment Left In-Patient

Again, this was more common in the past when there was no digital record keeping making sure that all surgical instruments are on the tray at the end of surgery. However, recent cases have included cotton pads or similar disposables being left inside the patient on accident.

 

Organ Perforation

A very common error in surgery is torn, nicked, or perforated organs. During the surgical procedure, the vital organs are injured, which leads to different complications for the patient. Veins and muscles can also be harmed in this manner. Many patients do not know that this has happened to them until complications arise after surgery.

 

Anesthesia Errors

Although this is not part of the actual surgery, it is an essential part of being able to perform the surgery. Anesthesiologists require specialized training to administer and monitor anesthetics. Errors include waking too early, over medicating, using the wrong medications, and not monitoring the patient correctly.

 

Infections

Surgical infections can lead to serious side effects for a patient that has recently had surgery. Hospitals, surgical centers, and all medical facilities have an obligation to keep their facilities sanitary. Medical professionals are all expected to perform safe interactions with patients by always washing their hands. When an infection sets in one of these settings, the protocol was not followed.

Other types of errors can occur during surgery or from the care you receive directly after the surgery. All of these errors can lead to the need for extensive medical care and large medical bills. It is only right that the responsible parties be held accountable for these actions.

 

When It Is Not A Medical Error

One of the reasons that medical negligence cases can be difficult to pursue is that some people believe that medical care, especially surgical care, is outcome-based. If the patient does not get the outcome to the surgery that they have hoped for, they believe that it is medical negligence.

All medical care comes with risks, and no medical treatment has a 100 percent guarantee of success. If surgery does not produce the desired results, it does not mean that negligence has occurred. For malpractice to occur, an injury must be sustained by the patient. 

 

Filing A Medical Malpractice Case

If you believe that you have been injured by the medical care that you received, you are encouraged to speak with a personal injury lawyer in OKC. Your attorney will review the information about your case and determine if you have the right to make a claim for compensation. Oklahoma law requires that a medical professional review the information prior to any attorney filing a claim to determine if the case is actual malpractice.

Once you receive the approval of a medical professional that your injuries are a result of negligence, your attorney will begin the process of claiming compensation. Your attorney will gather information and evidence, consult with experts, and work closely with you to determine how this injury has impacted your life.

During this process, your attorney will also gather information on how this injury has impacted you financially. The attorney will collect medical care bills, information about your lost wages, and receipts for any and all expenses you have had as a result of getting treatment for this injury. Your attorney will use this information to help build the compensation package.

Your personal injury attorney in OKC will negotiate with the insurance company for a settlement that covers all of your losses. This process may take several months to complete. Insurance companies often deny the first few claims for compensation because they are trying to reduce their own losses.

If the insurance company is unwilling to make a fair settlement offer, your attorney will file a lawsuit on your behalf and take the case to trial. Most insurance companies try to avoid this because juries often award much larger settlements than the initial settlement offer.

Medical care providers have an obligation to care for their patients in a manner that will not cause harm. When this obligation is broken, malpractice occurs. Your medical care provider must be held accountable for their actions so that the injured patient can recover their losses and start to rebuild their lives. Making the responsible party aware of their mistakes also helps prevent more people from being harmed in the future.