Surgical Errors

Baltimore, Maryland

Are you a victim of a surgical error? You’re not alone. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fifty million surgical procedures were conducted in the United States in 2007. According to the Institute of Medicine, 98,000 of those patients die each year due to surgical mistakes.

Every surgery carries risks. Even simple cosmetic surgeries may result in surgical error. But the average person fully expects to survive surgery and, sadly, many surgical errors leading to injury or death are fully preventable.

Examples of surgical errors:

• Using unsterilized surgical instruments
• Incorrect incision
• Puncture or perforation of an organ
• Surgery performed on wrong body part or wrong side of the body
• Delayed surgery (patient dies waiting for surgery)
• Prolonged surgery (patient dies in operating room)

Common surgeries with high incidence of surgical error:

• Gastric Bypass
• Childbirth
• Cardiothoracic Surgery
• Laparoscopic Intestinal Surgery
• Plastic/Cosmetic Surgery

In some cases, surgery is elective; in others, the patient has no choice about having surgery. Individuals facing surgery are generally well informed about the risks involved and have a reasonable expectation to survive the procedure without additional injury or the risk of death. Unfortunately, no doctor can ever claim he or she never makes a mistake and no patient is immune to being victimized by surgical error.

If you or your loved one has suffered injury or death due to a surgical error, please contact the experienced and compassionate attorneys at The Yost Legal Group for a no-cost case evaluation and a thorough discussion of your legal rights and options.