Every year, millions of Americans rely on the skill and experience of surgeons to perform important, and often life-saving, medical procedures. Unfortunately, far too many surgeries in the United States result in tragic and preventable injuries to patients caused by Surgical Errors.
According to a 2016 study conducted by the British Medical Journal (BMJ), surgical errors are the third leading cause of death in the U.S. This study indicates that inexcusable surgical mistakes are held accountable for more than 250,000 deaths every year, which is equivalent to 9.5% of deaths annually in the U.S.
Common causes of Surgical Errors include:
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- 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)
- And more
When a patient undergoes a surgical procedure, they almost always fully expect to survive the surgery. Sadly, many surgical errors leading to injury or death are fully preventable.
Every surgery carries risks – even simple cosmetic surgeries may result in surgical error. However, there are certain types of surgical procedures that carry a high incidence of Surgical Error. These include:
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- Gastric Bypass
- Childbirth
- Cardiothoracic Surgery
- Laparoscopic Intestinal Surgery
- Plastic/Cosmetic Surgery
Henson Fuerst is Here To Help
Individuals facing surgery, whether elective or unavoidable, 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 that he or she never makes a mistake, and no patient is immune to being victimized by surgical error.
Surgical Errors cause thousands of serious, and even fatal injuries every year. If you or your loved one has suffered injury or death due to a surgical error, call Henson Fuerst right away. Our experienced North Carolina Medical Malpractice lawyers will review every detail of your accident and fight hard to secure the maximum recovery for your injuries.
Call us today at (919) 781-1107 or fill out a free consultation form online.
When you call, you can discuss your case with one of our caring, dedicated Medical Malpractice team members. At Henson Fuerst, most of our cases are handled on a contingency fee basis, which means that you pay us nothing unless we win or settle your case. Some cases, however, are handled on an hourly or project basis depending on case circumstances and facts.
Call us today for an initial free case review and consultation, and we will talk further with you about how we would handle your case.
