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Surgical errors account for many medical malpractice suits.

By Ben Glass

Surgical errors rate among the most serious forms of medical malpractice. Every year, approximately 98,000 hospital patients die because of such errors.

Though there are various types of surgeries, any time a patient submits to any kind of surgery, he or she risks injury. Any member of the health care team overseeing a procedure can commit a surgical error, whether it's the surgeon, the anesthesiologist, or a nurse.

Here are some common types of surgical errors considered medical malpractice:

• Commission: This is an error in which the incorrect procedure is performed, such as operating on the wrong body part or performing an unnecessary surgery.

• Omission: This is an error in which the surgical team neglects to provide a patient with the necessary care, such as not performing an appendectomy when medically necessary.

• Execution: This is an error in which a procedure is not correctly performed. Whether or not it results in serious injury, it indicates that the desired result was not produced.

Other errors include using unsterile instruments, leaving an instrument inside the body of a patient, incorrectly administering anesthesia, and neglecting to inform a patient of potential risks and dangers.

The procedures most commonly prone to surgical errors are childbirth, gastric bypass, cardiac surgeries, thoracic surgeries, and cosmetic surgeries. Though those are the most common, any type of surgery could include a surgical error.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Ben Glass

Full post as published by Northern Virginia Personal Injury Lawyer on June 30, 2008 (boomark / email).