Surgical Instruments Left Inside the Body

One serious form of medical malpractice occurs when surgical instruments are left inside the body after
surgery. When doctors operate on you, there are quite a few tools they likely use: sponges, scalpels,
tweezers, probes, gauzes, and clamps are all necessary in surgery. Sometimes, however, doctors inadvertently
leave one or more of these objects behind during the complicated procedure, and this can be a serious
problem for you which can result in sickness and even death if not properly addressed.

If you or someone you love has been affected by a surgical tool left inside the body, contact the Pennsylvania
malpractice attorneys of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C., by calling 610-667-7511.

Consequences of Objects Left in the Body

The body tries to guard against foreign objects, as these can bring infection and injury. A foreign
body left inside you can lead to serious, life-threatening infection, and sharp objects can cause lacerations
and internal bleeding, leading to serious injury. Even worse, it can be weeks and sometimes even months
before a patient realizes that an object was left inside them following surgery, increasing the likelihood
of serious damage.

Surgery, by its very nature, is a complicated process, and sometimes doctors may not realize they’ve
dropped something or left something inside you. While scalpels and tongs can cause problems, surgeons
are likely to notice them. It’s the smaller things like gauze and sutures that are more likely to be
left behind. These can be even more dangerous, since they’re so small the patient may be equally unlikely
to notice them. Even when they fester and become infected, it may not occur to the patient that they
could have material inside them from a surgery.

Contact Us

Medical malpractice can cause serious illness or, even worse, death. If you or someone you love has
been affected by a medical mistake, >contact the Pennsylvania medical malpractice attorneys
of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C., by calling 610-667-7511 today.