Chicago Surgical Error Lawyers

Wrong Site Surgery

When a surgical staff is being run correctly, wrong site surgical errors are very easy to avoid. After all, the first thing a surgeon should know is where he or she will be operating. However, wrong site surgery occurs with shocking frequency. In fact, some studies estimate that about 1,000 wrong surgical site errors are committed every year in the US.

If your health has suffered because of a wrong site surgery, contact Chicago medical malpractice attorneys Friedman & Bonebrake at 312-466-8200 today.

Consequences of Wrong Site Surgery

For a patient who has received a surgical procedure in the wrong area, the consequences can naturally be very severe. A few potential effects of this mistake are:

• Worsening of the patient’s initial health complaint
• Organ damage
• Infection
• Disability and/or chronic pain
• Death

Wrong Site Error Prevention

Hospitals are expected to follow a process known as the Universal Protocol in order to avoid this terrible mistake. This protocol involves three steps in which a marker is used to identify the surgery site on the patient, these marks are double-checked, and surgeons and their assistants are expected to pause before surgery in order to make absolutely sure they will proceed correctly.

All too often this protocol is simply not followed, or is followed incorrectly. This can be the result of poor training on the part of hospitals, recklessness on behalf of surgeons, and/or negligence on behalf of nurses and assistants who fail to speak up.

Contact a Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer

If you or a loved one has been injured by a wrong site surgery, you may have grounds for a medical malpractice suit. For more information, contact Chicago surgical malpractice attorneys Friedman & Bonebrake at 312-466-8200.