Medical practitioners have a very high duty of care to uphold. Because they have a direct effect on the well-being of their patients, there is hardly any room for error. Large-scale mistakes pose the threat of serious injury, infection, or even death to the patient. When a doctor or nurse does make one of these harmful, negligent slip-ups, he or she must be held accountable for it.

One of the most delicate types of work that some physicians perform is surgery. These operations directly expose the body to a number of risks, and if the proper precautions are not taken, then the patient may suffer dearly as a result.

Wrong Site Surgery

One of the most dangerous and most negligent errors medical workers can perform is wrong site surgery. There is no excuse for failing to check a patent's charts or directly with the patient for the operative limb.

Though wrong-site surgery may seem more like a hassle than anything else, it can actually be quite dangerous. The patient is exposed to the dangers of surgery - infection, poor reactions, anesthesia errors - more than once. Not only that, but wrong site surgery can cause unnecessary and lasting scarring, as well.

Leaving a Foreign Object inside Body after Surgery

Another error founded purely on negligence is that of leaving a foreign object, such as a surgical tool, inside the body after surgery. Though it may seem absurd, surgeons will occasionally forget to remove certain items from the body cavity before sewing the patient back up. This phenomenon is quite rare, but it does happen once in a while. Items most commonly left behind include:

Sponges

Gauze

Needles

Clamps

Towels

Victims of this form of malpractice run the risk of suffering very dangerous consequences, including internal puncture wounds, nasty infections, intestinal blockage, and nerve damage. As a result, they can experience dangerous internal bleeding and significant amounts of pain. In the most serious cases, these complications can lead to death.

Contact Us

If you have been a victim of a dangerous and damaging surgical error, then you may have the right to recover compensation. The New Jersey medical malpractice lawyers of Levinson Axelrod have the experience necessary to help you make an aggressive and effective claim for damages. To learn more or speak with an attorney about your situation, visit http://www.medicalmalpracticenj.com/ today.