Articles

Surgery Errors at Military Hospitals

October 4, 2013

Anesthesia errors, operating on the wrong site of the body and leaving instruments in patients are examples of surgery errors that can be made at military hospitals.

Although we trust surgeons and their staff to be at their best when they are performing invasive and complex surgeries on us, unfortunately, these professionals can make mistakes that result in severe injuries that, in the worst cases, can be fatal. In fact, each year in the U.S., at least 4,000 events that should never happen during surgery take place and cause serious patient injuries and/or death, according to research conducted by Johns Hopkins University (and published in the December 2012 edition of Surgery). In these incidents, researchers found that most of the physicians responsible for these surgical errors had made at least one significant surgery error in their past.

Types of Surgery Errors

Some examples of surgical errors that can result in serious patient injuries include:

• Administering too much or too little anesthesia prior to a surgery
• Administering anesthesia or medications that patients are allergic to
• Operating on the wrong area of the body
• Damaging healthy tissues, organs and/or blood vessels surrounding the surgical site
• Leaving unhealthy, damaged tissues or organs in patients when they should have been extracted during surgery
• Leaving surgical tools, sponges and/or towels inside of patients after surgery
• Failing to check electronic medical equipment prior to using it during surgery (which could increase the risk of this equipment malfunctioning during the operation)
• Failing to use the proper equipment for the specific surgery
• Failing to have enough support staff like nurses participating in the surgery (which can increase the risk that essential steps are overlooked).

Who is Responsible for Surgical Errors in Military Hospitals?

When any of these surgical errors occur at military hospitals, the following parties may be held legally liable for patients’ injuries:

• The hospital itself
• The physicians responsible for overseeing the surgery
• The nurses who participated in the surgery.

Military Medical Malpractice Lawyers

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured after undergoing surgery at any Army, Navy or Air Force hospital hospital, we encourage you to contact us to learn more about your legal rights and entitlements. The military medical malpractice lawyers at the Law Firm of Brown Law have the skill and expertise to get you the justice you deserve. Although no amount of money can ever make up for an injury or wrongful death caused by medical malpractice, the compensation we could help you recover will go a long way in covering medical costs and the pain and suffering you have endured. To encourage injured parties to learn more about their legal rights, our law firm provides free initial consultations, consideration even if another law firm has turned you down and availability 24 hours a day seven days a week.

When brave men and women like you take on the challenge of protecting our country’s freedom, they deserve the best in legal representation.  Our military malpractice attorney has over 30 years experience and an extraordinary track record of success.  At Brown Law, we never charge any fees unless we are able to secure the compensation you deserve. Please call us toll-free at 1-877-695-8757 24 hours a day seven days a week. You may also email us at LawHelp@MilitaryMedicalMalpractice.com or by using the online form at the upper right-hand side of the screen.

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