Untold scores of surgical procedures, both minor and serious ones, occur without any problems. However, some surgeries go terribly wrong, and the resulting injuries or death might derive from a surgeon’s errors. Anyone who suffers from this egregious mistake could potentially file a medical malpractice suit.
Studies reveal that thousands of incidents occur each year where medical personnel leave instruments inside the body. The instruments range from sponges to scissors, scalpels and more. Coming up with a logical reason why such errors happen may prove difficult. Were there inadequate safety precautions? Was the surgeon impaired or distracted? Sometimes, sponges become “misplaced” because they visually blend in with organs. As for surgical tools, a nurse could lose track and miscount them. Even over-sized objects may be left inside a patient.
What could be signs of a foreign object left inside?
What may prove even more surprising is the amount of time that might pass before the patient discovers the problem. Months could expire before the actual cause of a nagging ache or pain is diagnosed. In some cases, problems could manifest quickly and severely. A rapidly spreading infection, for example, may occur without warning.
Modern hospitals do employ technology such as tracking devices to reduce the chances of losing count of instruments. Not using this equipment or not replacing faulty equipment could be deemed negligence.
When a patient is injured due to medical malpractice incidents, he or she may be able to recover compensation for further medical care, pain and suffering, lost wages and other losses. A successful suit may even alter the policies at a particular hospital to take prevention more seriously.