A complete, healthy recovery relies heavily on proper post-surgical care. Errors in administering prescriptions or monitoring a patient’s condition can have devastating consequences that result in severe complications or death. Health care providers must adhere to specific post-surgical protocol, which has been put in place primarily to prevent errors from occurring, and they must be vigilant for signs of anything out of the ordinary. When a health care provider makes a mistake or fails to follow protocol, he or she may be held responsible for any resulting harm to the patient.
- Common post-surgical errors include:
- Coma resulting from anesthesia error;
- Failure to remove surgical instruments from inside the patient;
- Failure to recognize, diagnose, and treat infections or internal bleeding resulting from surgery;
- Failure to follow standards of preventative care, specifically regarding Deep Vein Thrombosis and pulmonary embolism (common complications);
- Failure to regularly and properly monitor a patient for signs of post-surgical complications;
- Failure to properly administer medication, often involving antibiotics;
- Failure to recognize and treat common complications of gastric bypass and endoscopic surgery;
- Mistakes that result in extreme disfigurement; and
- Mistakes that result in neurological damage. When common and routine surgery results in wounds, infection, or other kinds of injuries that can be attributed to the health care providers or to the hospital, the patient may be eligible for compensation. If you or a loved one believe your injury or condition is the result of post-surgical error, contact the our experienced medical malpractice lawyers for a free consultation.