Pre and Post-Operative Surgical Errors
When scheduled for surgery, most people’s biggest concern is what will happen during the surgical procedure itself. They hope the surgery will go well and no complications will cause harm.
However, the process before and after surgery can be just as critical as the procedure itself. Even the initial decision to do a surgery or to instead of trying a non-surgical approach can be critical.
Some common pre- and post-operative errors include:
- Poor pre-operative evaluation. The risks of a particular surgery often depend upon the individual patient’s medical history and condition. Before surgery, a medical professional should evaluate your condition to ensure that you are well enough to undergo the surgery and that the surgery is not likely to exacerbate any existing medical conditions.
- Incorrect pre-operative information. Sometimes, a surgeon will operate on the wrong body part. Pre-surgery, a surgeon may receive incorrect information from other medical personnel. This is why, on the day of the surgery, several people on your operative team should confirm your name and the reason you are having surgery. Your charts should all have the correct information to prevent surgical errors. In fact, in some cases the surgeons will physically mark, with the patient, the body part to be treated.
- Lack of recovery-room monitoring. After surgery, all patients need post-operative care. Medical personnel must carefully monitor your condition in order to catch any issues that may arise. For example, if you experience unusual bleeding after surgery, medical personnel must be alert to notice your condition and provide assistance. If something went wrong during the surgery and the problem is clear immediately after surgery, medical personnel who attend you in post-operative care should handle the situation or seek help. Medical care continues even after the operative procedure. It is as important that medical professionals promptly attend to your condition both after surgery as before or during the procedure.
- Post-operative infections. Infections can breed when people neglect hygienic practices. For example, when changing bandages, medical professionals should properly disinfect the wound and ensure that the new bandages are clean. Improperly-sterilized surgical tools or equipment can cause serious infections.
- Poor home care counseling. Both before and after your surgery, your doctor should provide the information you need to understand and manage your condition while at home. Before surgery, you should be told if you are allowed to eat or drink and what substances you should avoid. After surgery, when you are released home, you should be told how to clean and care for any surgical wounds. Doctors should tell you which medications you should have and how much activity you can safely undertake. If they fail to provide this important information, you can suffer serious health risks.
If you have been harmed by pre or post-operative malpractice, Kocian Law Group can help. Our team of dedicated professionals will analyze your case to determine what exactly went wrong during the pre or post-operative procedure. From there, we can build a case showing how medical negligence led to your injury.