In a study analyzing surgical errors committed by doctors after a late night of drinking, researchers found that surgeons committed about 50 percent more errors when hungover.  "Historically, the medical profession has had a reputation for high rates of alcohol consumption.  It is likely that surgeons are unaware that next-day surgical performance may be compromised as a result of significant alcohol intake," said one researcher involved in the study published in Arhcives of Surgery.

16 students and 8 surgeons were asked to go out for a night of dining and drinking.  8 of the students were invited to the dinner and to stay out, but were instructed not to drink any alcohol.  The rest of the participants were all told they could drink as much as they wanted up to the point of being drunk.  The next morning, they were asked to perform a surgical procedure using a virtual reality system.  The surgeons' errors increased by half the amount that they committed when tested a day earlier.  Only one of the surgeons had a detectable level of alcohol in their system.

If you or someone you love has been the victim of a surgical error, contact the Chicago surgical error attorneys of Friedman & Bonebrake, P.C. at 312-466-8200 and set up an appointment to discuss your situation with one of our lawyers.