A common kind of malpractice error that can occur is the surgical injury, which is one of the risks that can happen when surgery is performed on a person. Even the most accomplished surgeon can make an error with a surgical knife, accidentally slicing the surrounding anatomical structure. Surgical negligence can be grounds for filing a medical malpractice lawsuit, especially when the injury is not acknowledged or appreciated.

When a surgeon slices the wrong anatomical structure and doesn't diagnose the error or acknowledge the harm it can cause, surgical negligence has occurred. If, however, the surgeon cuts the wrong structure, acknowledges the error, and does the best job possible to repair the injury, medical malpractice may be much more difficult to prove.

A surgical error will often be noted in the operative note that has been dictated. Records of the surgery must be carefully studied to discern whether the surgeon and medical staff caused injury to a patient by not giving him or her the standard care required.

Surgical Injuries Are Caused By A Number Of Errors, Including:

• Wrong patient surgery.
• Wrong-site (operating on the wrong body area) surgery.
• Accidentally leaving a surgical instrument in the patient's body (including sponges, retractors, surgical towels). The CDC says that in the last few years, this type of medical error has injured almost 15,000 surgical patients.
• Wrong surgery for the correct diagnosis.
• Damage caused by a scheduled surgery, which can take place when a physician did not tell a patient before the surgery about the risk of damage.
• Wrong surgical procedure, such as the removal of the wrong tissue, limb, or organ.

For more information about surgical error malpractice or to speak with one of our medical malpractice attorneys, please call Rosenbaum & Associates at 1-800-7-LEGAL-7. You can also click here for a Free Case Evaluation.

Rosenbaum & Associates is located in Philadelphia and our malpractice lawyers represent clients in medical malpractice cases throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey.