Common surgical errors in Ohio

Common surgical errors in Ohio

There were 1,347 medical malpractice cases in Ohio in 2022, according to Becker’s ASC Review. Medical malpractice is when a medical professional makes a mistake that harms a patient’s health or well-being. Mistakes during surgical procedures often lead to claims of medical malpractice. Some operating room mistakes occur more often than others.

Incorrect procedure or incorrect patient

Performing surgery on the wrong patient almost certainly qualifies as medical malpractice. Also, performing the wrong surgery on the right patient is a major surgical error.

Foreign objects in the body

An estimated 4,000 patients per year leave the operating room with a medical instrument left inside their bodies. This is a common complaint in medical malpractice claims as many medical professionals use various surgical instruments. Surgical sponges, clamps, scissors and scalpels have been left in patients’ bodies.

Falls

Patients have been hurt by falling off of operating tables. Medical professionals in the operating room are responsible for securing the patient on the operating table. It’s common for doctors and other operating room staff to move the patient during surgery. Other conditions in the operating room can result in after-surgery errors. For example, an estimated one in 20 patients develop infections in the hospital. Thousands of patients die yearly from infections that they acquired while hospitalized. Doctors, nurses and other medical staff with bad hygiene are the number one cause of these infections. Many surgical mishaps are the result of negligence. However, not all surgical mishaps count as medical malpractice. For example, a surgical mishap can possibly occur even when there's an attempt to prevent it. If a patient can prove that negligence caused them harm, they might have a valid medical malpractice claim.