The Unacceptable Reality of Preventable Surgical Mistakes
While all surgeries carry inherent risks, a surgical error is not a risk—it is a failure. It is a preventable mistake that falls below the accepted medical standard of care. These errors, sometimes called “never events” because they should never happen, are a serious breach of a surgeon’s duty to their patient.
Our firm handles complex medical malpractice claims involving all types of surgical negligence, including:
Wrong-Site Surgery: Operating on the incorrect body part (e.g., the left knee instead of the right).
Wrong-Patient Surgery: Performing a procedure on the wrong individual entirely.
Leaving Foreign Objects Inside a Patient: Sponges, clamps, or other surgical tools left behind after closing an incision.
Anesthesia Errors: Administering too much or too little anesthesia, failing to monitor vital signs, or failing to recognize an allergic reaction.
Nerve Damage or Organ Perforation: Accidentally cutting, puncturing, or damaging a nerve, organ, or blood vessel during the procedure.
Performing the Incorrect Procedure: Conducting a different surgery than the one the patient consented to.
Post-Operative Infections: Caused by the use of unsanitary instruments or an unsterile operating environment.
