Wrong Patient Surgery

Wrong Patient Surgery

In some hospitals, the number of patients may dramatically increase at any given time. When this happens, it may become difficult for hospital staff members to keep track of patients and to ensure that the right patients get the right procedures. Still, this is obligation of all medical professionals.

Unfortunately, some professionals may fail in this duty. In some cases, this may cause surgeons to completely mix up patients and perform surgical procedures on the wrong individuals. This is a problem known as wrong patient surgery, and it can have a significant impact on any unfortunately victims.

A surgeon may perform surgery on the wrong patient for any number of reasons. A nurse may have placed the incorrect chart with a patient. A surgeon may fail to correctly identify his or her patients. Surgeons getting prepped for an operation may be given incorrect instructions.

This point is meant to illustrate that in many cases, more than one person is to blame for surgical mix ups. Sadly, more than one person is usually affected by these errors also.

Both the patient who is mistaken for the correct patient and the correct patient may suffer serious harm as a result of wrong patient surgery. This is particularly true when an individual needs an invasive procedure and surgeons errantly perform it on an individual who did not need the treatment.

Also, the patient who needed the procedure does not receive it at the scheduled time. This may mean that the individual’s ailment is allowed to worsen, especially in the case of time sensitive ailments.

When this happens, the medical facility where the error occurred may be liable for the any injuries suffered.