Home » Practice Areas » Malpractice » Surgical Errors

Surgical Errors

Denver Medical Malpractice Attorney William P. Godsman

Understanding Surgical Errors and Your Legal Options

Every day, patients choose to put their lives in the hands of their surgeons.They trust in their surgeon to successfully operate without any complications. Unfortunately, thousands of people are injured or die each year because of surgical errors. These errors can occur in any type of surgery, whether invasive or noninvasive. Patients who have been the victim of a surgical error (or family members of patients who die a result of surgical errors) may be able to file a medical malpractice lawsuit to receive financial compensation for their injuries, including medical expenses and loss of wages. Determining whether surgical complications resulted from medical malpractice or negligence can be very difficult. Therefore, it is critical to contact a medical malpractice attorney who has the skill, knowledge, and experience to effectively represent your case.

Even though the majority of surgical errors occur during the surgical procedure itself, surgical errors can occur at any point in the surgical process. Some errors occur during the preoperative phase---even before the first incision is made. This is usually the result of a surgeon failing to carefully evaluate a patient’s medical history, family history, or use of medications. Other errors occur on the back end of the operation, during the post-operative phase. These errors are usually related to poor aftercare which can lead to infections, septic shock, and delayed healing. Preoperative and post-operative infections can have life threatening consequences.

Denver Colorado Medical Negligence Attorney

Common Types of Surgical Errors Include (but are not limited to):

Surgery on the wrong area of the body
Removing the wrong part of the body
Surgical instruments left inside the body (including sponges and surgical towels)
Surgery on the wrong patient
Anesthesia errors
Incorrect incisions
Accidental perforation of nearby organs
Delayed or prolonged surgery
Damage from a planned surgery that was not presented as a risk to the patient prior to the surgery

Surgical Complications and Dangerous Surgeries:

Statistically, some surgeries result in more surgical complications or errors than others. Surgeries where complications most commonly occur include:

Cosmetic Surgeries
Childbirth Surgeries
Gastric Bypass
Laparoscopic intestinal surgeries
Cardiothoracic (heart-related) surgeries
Thoracic (lung-related) surgeries

Surgical malpractice can occur for many reasons. Surgeons who are fatigued due to a long surgery are more likely to make mistakes. In addition, there is increased likelihood of error when surgeries are performed by inexperienced surgeons or those without proper training. Yet surgeons are not the only members of a surgical medical team who make mistakes. Sometimes errors occur because of the actions or negligence of anesthesiologists, surgical nurses, surgical residents, etc.

As with any medical malpractice case, there is a statute of limitations the filing of surgical malpractice cases, so it is important to file a lawsuit as quickly as possible. In Colorado, typically the statute is two years from the date the surgical error was made or discovered, but there are important exceptions. Therefore, it is important to contact an experienced Colorado medical malpractice attorney immediately. Your attorney will review your case carefully and ensure that you do not miss any critical deadlines for filing a claim.

Free Consultation

If you are concerned that you have suffered an unneccessary injury or impairment due to medical negligence, contact Denver medical malpractice attorney William P. Godsman today. He can provide a free case consultation and discuss with you your legal options for recovery. Call (303) 455-6900.

Related Medical Malpractice Information