Kansas City Surgical Errors Attorney

Most people think of surgical errors as things that only happen on TV. However, they happen in real life more often than most people realize. Sometimes, the errors are glaringly obvious, while other mistakes are not as easily noticeable. Regardless of how big a surgical mistake is, it can cause severe patient harm. At Mayer & Rosenberg, P.C., our team is ready to help injured patients. Call us when you need a Kansas City surgical errors attorney.

What can happen in the operating room?

Johns Hopkins researchers have said that medical mistakes are the third leading cause of death in the country, claiming around 250,000 lives annually. Many of those mistakes are surgical errors.

Surgical mistakes can be devastating. While all invasive medical procedures come with risks, that does not excuse careless or negligent actions of healthcare staff.

There are some mistakes that happen in a surgery called “never events.” Many people are familiar with these because they are popularized on TV shows and movies. They include:

• Operating on the wrong body part.
• Operating on the wrong person for the wrong procedure.
• Leaving surgical objects inside of a person.
• Removing the wrong organ of the body.
• Anesthesia errors.

The consequences of these mistakes can be temporary injuries (59% of the time), permanent injuries (33% of the time), or death (6.6% of the time).

These incidents are the ones we hear about most often because they require mandatory reporting. Estimates show that surgical “never events” occur approximately 4,000 times a year in the US.

However, there are many other errors made during surgery or after that do not require mandatory reporting. Other complications can include contaminated surgical tools or other instrument used that leads to infection.

All surgical patients require proper follow-up care, including continual monitoring of the surgical site for infection.

Successful surgeries require proper pre-surgical planning. During the surgery, there should always be good communication between all members of the surgical team. Surgeons should never operate while fatigued or impaired by any substance.

In Missouri, the statute of limitations for filing a medical malpractice lawsuit is two years from the date the mistake occurred or from when the patient should have known about the incident. In many cases, such as foreign objects left inside a patient, a person may not experience complications until years after the incident occurs.

It is time to take the next step

If you or someone you care about has been harmed due to the carelessness or negligence of a medical or surgical professional, please seek legal assistance today. The team at Mayer & Rosenberg, P.C.is ready to get to work investigating your claims so we can secure the following:

• Coverage of all medical expenses related to the mistake, including future medical expenses
• Recovery of lost income if you are unable to work
• Pain and suffering/loss of enjoyment of life damages
• Loss of consortium
• Punitive damages against the responsible parties