Wrong Site Surgery

Wrong site surgery is one of the many types of medical malpractice that can occur during a patient’s visit. When a patient is admitted to a hospital for surgery, the medical staff must make several notes about the type of surgery required, the site of the surgery, and the scheduled date and time. If a nurse or surgeon makes a mistake and somehow misinterprets the site of the surgery to be operated upon, the patient may suffer a significant injury from wrong site surgery.

Causes of Wrong Site Surgery

There are several types of errors that can lead to a wrong site surgery accident. Some of the mistakes that may occur include:

• Illegible writing on the patient’s records
• Failing to verify the site of the surgery prior to the operation
• Failing to mark the site of the surgery, or marking the wrong site
• Confusing the surgeries needed on two or more different patients
• Hurrying into a surgery without clarifying the details with other medical staff

Any of these errors can lead to wrong site surgery. This type of malpractice can lead to severe injuries and health risks for a patient, especially if the surgery is needed immediately. The time wasted performing the wrong surgery may be crucial to a patient’s survival. Similarly, requiring a second surgery to correct the mistake unnecessarily exposes the patient to further risk of infection or illness while in the hospital.

On top of the physical and mental stress caused to a patient, a wrong site surgery is extremely costly and may lead to steep medical bills, lost wages from time off of work, recovery costs, and pain and suffering. If you or someone you love has been a victim of wrong site surgery, you may be able to recover compensation for your injuries and damages through a medical malpractice lawsuit.

Contact Us

For sound legal advice and assistance regarding your wrong site surgery case, don’t hesitate to contact the experienced Pennsylvania surgical malpractice attorneys of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C. today at 610-667-7511.