3 Easy Tips to Prevent Surgical Errors
When a patient decides to undergo a surgery or other medical procedure, they are always made aware of the risks associated with the operation. Anesthesia reactions, infection, blood clots, and various other dangers are present to a very small degree in any procedure, but rarely is a patient informed that there is a chance the surgeon could remove the wrong kidney, perform the wrong surgery, or leave a medical instrument inside the surgical location after the procedure.
These types of accidents are known as “surgical errors” and while they should never happen, mistakes in pre-operative preparation and planning sometimes lead to harmful and costly mistakes.
Prevention
The risk of surgical error is very small, but there is no reason to take any more chances than necessary. Follow these three easy tips to help ensure you don’t become the victim of a surgical error:
- Discuss the surgery thoroughly with your surgeon immediately before the procedure. Make sure you are in agreement about what part of your body the surgery is to take place on, and be sure that any confusion is cleared up.
- If possible, ask the anesthesiologist if you can remain conscious during the surgery. For many surgeries this will not be an option, but some procedures can be managed with an epidural or spinal, allowing you to stay awake throughout and monitor the surgery.
- Make sure that going into your surgery, you know the location of your incision, the general outline of the procedure, and that the right part of your body is prepped for surgery.
Hospitals and surgeons have begun implementing more and more safety protocols in recent years to prevent surgical errors, and following these easy steps will help ensure you do not become a victim.
Contact Us
If you would like to learn more about surgical errors and how they can affect you and your loved ones, call the Pennsylvania medical malpractice attorneys of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C. at 610-667-7511 today.