One of the most commonly associated forms of medical malpractice is surgical medical malpractice.  This is because most people thing of medical malpractice occurring in an operating room with mistakes during surgery, such as a slip of the scalpel.  While there are many other types of Oregon medical malpractice, it is indeed true that Oregon surgical medical malpractice is common and it can cause serious personal injuries.  The personal injuries due to surgical medical malpractice could result in debilitating and catastrophic injuries which can effect the rest of a person’s life.  Our Oregon surgical medical malpractice lawyers know how devastating this type of medical malpractice can be and we work with victims and their families to ensure that their rights are protected.

This is because Oregon law affords victims of surgical medical malpractice and their families certain rights.  One right is to damages due to the negligence of a healthcare provider.  Damages in a medical malpractice case are frequently compensatory in nature, meaning that victims are entitled to money for their injuries.  This includes for pain and suffering, lost wages, medical bills, lost future earnings, and other expenses due to the surgical medical malpractice.  if the healthcare provider errors are so serious that is causes the wrongful death of a patient, a family may be entitled to compensation for funeral costs and burial expenses, loss of dependency from their loved one, and other wrongful death damages.

Common Oregon Surgical Medical Malpractice Errors

There are many possible ways that surgical medical malpractice errors could cause unnecessary harm to patients.  Many of these surgical mistakes are completely avoidable if the healthcare provider exercises proper care and treatment.  Other times the surgical mistakes are due to surgeon inexperience or poor ability.  In any situation, patients expect to receive proper medical care and treatment.  When they do not, they may be entitled to compensation.  Some of the most common instances of Oregon surgical medical malpractice errors include the following:

Wrong Patient Surgery – This is where a healthcare provider performs a surgery on a patient that was intended for another patient.  Even though this sounds like it is from a horror movie, it does occur at alarming rates in busy emergency departments and can cause extreme injury to patients.

Wrong Site Surgery – This is another alarmingly shocking but common type of surgical error which involves a surgeon performing a surgery on the correct patient but at the wrong location.  Many times the results are devastating, including removing a healthy kidney and leaving in the diseased kidney (which still must be removed and forces a patient to go onto dialysis), or removing a healthy testicle or ovary and leaving a diseased one in (which must still be removed and leaves a patient infertile).  It is common for spinal surgeries to also be performed at the wrong level of the spinal column due to miscounting on an x-ray or inside the back.  This could result in permanent disability and the likelihood that a patient has serious complications.

Foreign Objects Left Inside Patients – A foreign object left inside of a patient is a dire situation which could result in a widespread infection or sepsis.  This type of Oregon medical malpractice commonly occurs during abdominal or cavity surgeries were towels, pads, and other devices are used to help control or limit bleeding.  The more surgical equipment that is used, the more which must be properly removed.  Failing to remove these surgical equipment and sowing a patient back up is life-threatening medical malpractice.

Anesthesia Errors – All surgeries are performed with some form of anesthesia.  This might be a local anesthesia which blocks pain, or full anesthesia which requires a patient to be sedated.  Anesthesia is a powerful cocktails of three drugs made to sedate a patient, block pain, and paralyze the person to prevent involuntary movement.  If any combination or amount of these drugs are improper, it could result in permanent damage or wrongful death of a patient.

Bend/Portland, Oregon Surgical Medical Malpractice Errors Lawyers

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.  

We handle cases throughout the state including Bend and Portland Oregon, Redmond, Central Oregon, Multnomah County, Deschutes County, Salem, Eugene, Corvallis, Lane County, Medford, Gresham, Albany, Medford, Beaverton, Umatilla, Pendleton, and Hillsboro.  

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.  

Please act quickly, there is a limited time (Statute of Limitations) in which you can bring a claim under the law.