Surgery is a stressful event for any patient and their family, as they’re forced to place absolute trust in surgeons — hoping to emerge from the operation and post-operative care safely. This is especially true in procedures involving anesthesia, when unconscious patients are unaware of what happens during their surgery. Unfortunately, avoidable surgical errors are all too common and can have disastrous results.
Surgical negligence is often associated with complex heart or brain surgeries, but can occur during even the most common procedures. Ordinary surgeries on the gall bladder, colon or stomach often lead to perforations of the delicate tissues in these organs and can cause life threatening infection, peritonitis and sepsis. A laparoscopic cholecystectomy, the most widespread treatment for gall disease and one of the most common surgeries in the United States, can have life-threatening consequences if there is a surgical mistake such as cutting the common bile duct. If performed improperly, common gynecological procedures, like a hysterectomy or tubal ligation, can result in excessive bleeding or the perforation of vital organs. Even regularly performed sinus surgeries can have catastrophic results like blindness or continuous double vision.
Raleigh’s Zaytoun & Ballew law firm has successfully litigated numerous surgical malpractice cases involving a wide range of procedures, and we understand the complex issues that arise in these cases.
Examples of surgical errors:
- Performing the wrong surgical procedure or performing surgery on the wrong area of the body
- Leaving a surgical instrument or sponge inside the body
- Improper puncture of the esophagus or another vital organ during a procedure, which can cause fatal septic shock
- Cerebral palsy caused by a delay in ordering a c-section
- Burns or tissue damage during laparoscopic surgery
- Fatal errors in gastric bypass surgery, resulting in cardiac arrest, infection or blood clots
- Errors in a laminectomy or another spinal operation causing permanent spinal cord damage and possibly paralysis
- Negligence in the installation or removal of medical devices like stents, pacemakers, implants, screws or catheters
- Plastic or cosmetic surgery malpractice
Zaytoun & Ballew’s experienced North Carolina surgical error lawyers fight for justice and compensation for our clients when these medical errors result in injury or death. Contact Zaytoun & Ballew today.
