What to do if your surgeon made a critical mistake

Getting a surgery, even a minor surgery, carries a lot of risks. From potential interactions with, or allergies to, anesthesia to mistakes by your surgeon, a lot can go wrong. While it is rare, surgeons, like other doctors, can make serious mistakes during an operation.

If your surgeon operated on the wrong place, performed an additional, unnecessary surgery without your consent, or made a mistake that has impacted your health or required a corrective surgery, it may have been medical malpractice. You owe it to yourself and your family to speak with an experienced medical malpractice attorney.

Surgical mistakes can have long-term impacts on patients

Sometime relatively minor omissions, like forgetting a piece of gauze or cotton in an incision can have serious consequences. Forgetting something inside a patient can result in a severe infection, requiring another surgery. In extreme cases, those infections can lead to loss of limb, function or even loss of life. Surgeries that fail to complete their purpose, such as removing a foreign object or tumor can require a second surgery or additional treatments.

Operations performed on the wrong location can cause bodily damage, including nerve damage, in addition to the need for another surgery. Additionally, doctors who perform additional surgeries or procedures without the consent of their patient can have physical impacts as well as psychological fallout. Those who were operated on without consent may require therapy for post-traumatic stress or an acquired fear of medical professionals.

The expenses involved, as well as the physical toll of a second surgery or another form of medical treatment, can have long-term impacts on the patient involved. If a surgeon made a serious mistake during your operation, you should speak with an experienced medical malpractice and personal injury attorney as soon as you discover the mistake.

An attorney can help you recover after a surgical mistake

All too often, those who are victims of medical and surgical malpractice believe that they are at the mercy of their physician. They may be afraid to complain, worried they could receive poor care in the future as a result.

If you believe your surgeon made a mistake or performed an unnecessary operation without your consent, you should speak with an attorney right away. An attorney can advocate on your behalf with the surgeon’s medical malpractice insurer, ensuring that any settlement received is fair compensation for your experience.

An experienced medical malpractice and personal injury attorney can also help you file a civil lawsuit to recover damages after medical malpractice by a surgeon. They understand what evidence and testimony will be needed to prove your case. They also understand legal precedent for medical malpractice cases in Louisiana. Don’t rely on the goodwill of your surgeon or one’s insurer. Protect yourself and your family by speaking with an attorney as soon as you discover the surgical mistake!