At least 4,000 surgical errors occur each year in the U.S. These mistakes can happen both during complex operations of the brain, spine, or heart as well as during “routine” or common operations. Some surgical errors can be catastrophic and have lifelong complications for the victim. Some can even result in death. Any surgical error is devastating for the patient and the patient’s family.
If a surgical error happens to you or a family member, it’s best to have an experienced New York surgical error lawyer on your side to help you recover the compensation that you deserve.
When do surgical errors occur?
Surgical errors can occur at any time during the surgery process, from the pre-operative prep to the post-operative care. Surgical errors can be made by any person on the medical staff, not just the surgeon.
What are some examples of surgical errors?
Common surgical error examples include:
- Performance of unnecessary surgery. When a surgeon performs a surgery that is unnecessary or unindicated for the patient’s condition.
- Performing improper surgery. This can happen when a surgeon performs the wrong type of surgery for the patient’s condition, performs surgery on the wrong part or wrong side of the patient’s body, or performs a surgery that is contraindicated for the patient’s condition.
- Performing surgery in an improper manner. When a surgeon causes injury by using improper surgical techniques, failing to use the appropriate surgical technique, or failing to use due care during the performance of the surgery. It is not uncommon for surgeons to inadvertently injure adjacent structures, organs or nerves as a result of improper technique or lack of due care during surgery.
- Anesthesiologic errors. When the person providing the anesthesia during an operation administers it improperly or fails to properly monitor the patient’s condition during the surgery.
- Errors in Post-Operative Care. Even where the surgery appears to go well, without apparent problems or complications, the post-surgical period can be very consequential. Post-operative patients need to be carefully monitored for the development of problems that may materialize and a failure to do so can have devastating results that could have been prevented.
At Kramer, Dillof, Livingston & Moore (KDLM), we are committed to our clients during every step of the legal process. We have represented hundreds of medical malpractice cases, including many due to surgical errors, that have benefited clients with verdicts from $120 million dollars to over $1 billion in settlements. There is no single type of case that is the “right fit” for KDLM so each case brought to us is evaluated on a case-by-case basis. If you have a medical malpractice case that involves a surgical error, please read our FAQs and then contact us at (212) 618-6800 to schedule a consultation.