Every surgical procedure in New Jersey carries some degree of risk, but the situation gets worse when the doctor or any other medical practitioner acts recklessly or negligently. Unfortunately, wrong-site surgery does happen in medical centers, and it could lead to serious or even fatal consequences for the patient.
What is wrong-site surgery?
Wrong-site surgery is a type of medical malpractice where a doctor performs a procedure on the wrong part or side of the body or on the wrong patient. It also entails performing a wrong procedure on a patient. Among all these, the most common type of wrong-site procedure in New Jersey is operating on the wrong side of the patient.
Why does wrong-site surgery happen?
Wrong-site surgery will normally take place when a surgeon acts recklessly or negligently when operating on a patient. It doesn’t matter whether they are experienced or not; if they don’t take proper measures to ensure a successful operation, you can suffer from harmful consequences.
This type of malpractice can also occur when other medical practitioners, besides the doctor, make an error. For example, staff can put down wrong information when scheduling a surgery; a pathologist or radiologist can give a wrong report that could mislead a doctor.
Preventing wrong-site surgeries
Steps for wrong-site surgery prevention lie mostly with the medical professionals, but you can help your case by being proactive. For instance, discuss the procedure with the doctor, touching mainly on the risks involved, how it will happen, on which part of the body, and for how long. When a staff, radiologist, or pathologist writes a report for you, request to see it or to get an explanation of what’s written.
What to do when you are a victim of a wrong-site surgery
When you or your loved one is a victim of wrong-site surgery, you may be able to get the compensation that you deserve and need. A claim could include:
• Medical, rehabilitation, and care expenses
• Loss of earnings or the capacity to earn brought about by the surgery
• Loss of life’s pleasures
• Disfigurement
• Physical and mental suffering
Prepping and going through surgery is already hard enough, so the matter should not be worsened by the mistake of medical professionals. You can take action to prevent an incorrect surgery and also fight to get the compensation you deserve if the unfortunate happens.
