Unexpected Outcome from a Surgery? Ask Our Surgical Malpractice Lawyer in Portland, OR for Help
While any surgical procedure can come with risks, there are instances in which a patient suffers due to errors made as a result of a physician or other healthcare provider’s error. Surgical medical malpractice is unfortunately all too common. Injuries due to a surgeon’s error can lead to catastrophic or life threatening injuries, or even wrongful death. When a patient’s suffers complications due to a surgeon or other healthcare provider’s error, this is considered to be negligence. This is when victims should call our surgical malpractice lawyer in Portland, OR for help.
Surgical Medical Malpractice in Oregon
Unfortunately, there are many ways in which an error can cause harm to a patient during the course of a surgical procedure. Examples of common surgical mistakes include the following:
- Foreign objects left inside the body – this is a very serious and very preventable mistake. This is due to carelessness. There is supposed to be someone in the operating room counting each sponge, tool or anything else being used on the patient to prevent something being left inside the body. When staff fail to do this, errors such as this occur. Foreign objects left inside the body can lead to infection, pain, death or other issues
- Wrong surgery/wrong site conducted – This is not as common but is a very serious error. An example of this is a patient going in for an appendectomy but comes out of surgery with their gallbladder removed. This should never happen and is a direct result of medical malpractice
- Anesthesia mistakes – Most surgeries require some degree of anesthesia. Anesthesia is a broad term and can range from site specific anesthesia while fully awake (local) to general anesthesia (when the patient is intubated and completely sedated). When an error occurs, this can lead to serious complications for the patient, including wrongful death
- Wrong Patient – While this also isn’t as common, this can happen when two patients are mixed up, causing one or both patients to undergo the wrong surgery. This type of error is 100% preventable
These are just a few of the many examples of surgical errors that occur in operating rooms in Oregon that our surgical malpractice lawyer in Portland, OR can help you with.
Surgical medical malpractice sadly occurs too often. Examples as to why these errors occur include the following:
- Poor communication – If health care professionals fail to fully communicate, errors occur. An example of this is failing to conduct a time out prior to surgery. With proper communication, many of these mistakes can be avoided
- Incompetence – If a new physician, nurse or other healthcare provider is not properly supervised, medical mistakes sadly occur. While new physicians need to be given the opportunity to perform surgical procedures, proper oversight should still be maintained
- Failing to properly plan preoperatively – Physicians should be thoroughly reviewing patient’s charts and planning the procedure prior to surgery. Failure to do this can result in a physician making a mistake that could be avoidable
- Lack of sleep – Surgeons often work hours that are far too long. When this occurs, physicians are fatigued and are much more likely to make mistakes.
Poor Result After a Surgery in OR? Ask Our Surgical Malpractice Lawyer in Portland, OR For Help
If you or a loved one have been seriously injured or killed as a result of medical malpractice contact the Oregon Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Kuhlman Law at our number below or fill out the intake form. We offer a free initial case evaluation and handle cases on a contingency fee which means that you pay no money unless we recover.
Our law firm handles cases throughout the state including Bend and Portland Oregon, Redmond, Central Oregon, Sisters, Madras, Multnomah County, Deschutes County, Salem, Eugene, Corvallis, Lane County, Medford, Gresham, La Grande, Albany, Medford, Beaverton, Umatilla, Pendleton, Cottage Grove, Florence, Oregon City, Springfield, Keizer, Grants Pass, McMinnville, Tualatin, West Linn, Forest Grove, Wilsonville, Newberg, Roseburg, Lake Oswego, Klamath Falls, Happy Valley, Tigard, Ashland, Milwakie, Coos Bay, The Dalles, St. Helens, Sherwood, Central Point, Canby, Troutdale, Hermiston, Silverton, Hood River, Newport, Prineville, Astoria, Tillamook, Lincoln City, Hillsboro, and Vancouver, Washington.
We also have an office in Minneapolis, Minnesota and take medical malpractice cases throughout the Twin Cities, including St. Paul, Hennepin County, Ramsey County, Dakota County, Washington County, Anoka County, Scott County, Blaine, Stillwater, and Saint Paul Minnesota.
