Surgical Error Lawyer
Phoenix, Glendale and Mesa, Arizona
Even though surgeons spend years training in school in order to successfully perform required procedures, surgical errors still kill approximately 98,000 patients each year, according to the Institute of Medicine. Absent from this frightening statistic is the number of life changing injuries sustained due to surgical medical malpractice.
Technically, surgical medical malpractice occurs when an injury is inflicted due to a surgeon failing to exercise the proper judgment and/or technique in keeping with his profession's standard. This can occur in the operating room, during a pre-surgery consultation, or post surgery instructions.
Surgical Categories
Three categories of surgery exist. One of the surgeon's most important responsibilities to his patients is making the appropriate decision regarding which type of surgery your condition necessitates:
- Elective Surgery – Surgery of this nature mandates no urgency and can be performed at an agreeable time for the patient's lifestyle and health.
- Urgent Surgery – A patient must go under the knife within hours.
- Emergency Surgery – Surgeries that require emergency care must be performed immediately. Waiting even a half hour can result in catastrophic injury or wrongful death.
If a surgeon's decision on the category of surgery that your condition necessitates results in personal injury or death, then he may be held liable for surgical medical malpractice.
Types of Operating Room Surgical Errors
Considering that a minor mistake can result in devastating personal injuries, it is essential that a surgeon is adequately rested and trained. However, even with sufficient rest and training, surgical errors in the operating room still occur, including:
- Making an incorrect incision
- Using unsanitary surgical tools
- Performing surgery on the wrong organ or side of a patient's body
- Leaving surgical tools inside a patient
- Puncturing or cutting an organ
- Failing to make the appropriate decision during surgery
Surgeries That Result in Greater Amounts of Error
All surgical procedures are inherently dangerous and your surgeon should explain any associated risks prior to surgery. However, some are more dangerous than others, including:
- Gastric Bypass Surgery
- Thoracic Surgery
- Cosmetic Surgery
- Child Birth
- Cardiothoracic Surgery
While all surgeries maintain an element of danger, you should never delay necessary surgery out of fear. Surgeons have undergone years of training and the majority of surgeries performed never result in personal injury.
If you or a loved one has been the victim of a surgical error in Phoenix, Mesa, or Tucson, Arizona, please contact Arizona surgical medical malpractice attorney Jerrold A. Mayro today or call (602) 604-8400 to schedule a consultation.
Suite 700
Phoenix, AZ 85016
