Common Surgical Errors

Surgeons are highly trained professionals who are expected to do things right. However, they do not always live up to those expectations. On occasion, they commit surgical errors and cause serious harm to patients.

Unfortunately, surgical errors are the most common of all medical errors because the patient is under general anesthesia or other types of sedation and cannot speak up when a mistake is about to be made.

Here are some of the most common avoidable surgical errors:

• Performing surgery on the wrong site or wrong area of the body — for example, amputating the wrong foot or hand
• Performing the wrong surgical procedure
• Leaving a surgical instrument, such as a sponge, retractor or towel, inside the body
• Performing a surgery that is not related to the patient’s diagnosis
• Performing surgery on the wrong patient
• Making an avoidable mistake during surgery or failing to catch or correct an avoidable error

If you or someone you love has been the victim of medical negligence involving surgical error, contact the St. Louis surgical error lawyers at the Zevan and Davidson Law Firm today to schedule a free consultation by calling (314) 588-7200.

photo credit: Andy G