Personal Injury Law

Doctor Admits to Botched Surgery, Pushes for Hospital Reforms

By guest-writer

A terrible mistake recently made by a veteran surgeon has led to a push for major reforms in the practices of American surgeons. While medical malpractice lawsuits provide some relief for victims of bad medicine, precautionary measures before surgery might help save thousands of people from personal injury.

The botched medical procedure occurred when Dr. David Ring of Massachusetts General Hospital performed a mistaken surgery to treat carpal tunnel syndrome on a the left hand of a 65-year old woman.

Unfortunately for the patient, she suffered from trigger finger, not carpal tunnel, and the surgeon failed to perform the correct procedure which would have straightened the affected ring finger on her left hand.

Dr. Ring noticed his error minutes after he performed the unnecessary surgery, and promptly apologized to the patient. He also offered to perform the correct surgery shortly thereafter. The woman, displaying a remarkable amount of mercy, allowed him to proceed. To the relief of both parties, the second surgery was a success.

Sources that detailed the story say that several last minute glitches led to the unnecessary surgery. First, the scheduled operating room was switched at the last minute. In addition, that day saw an abnormally busy surgery schedule which led to failures in standard safety protocols before the surgery began.

Dr. Ring, who courageously admitted to his mistakes in the New England Journal of Medicine, says that he now views pre-surgery safety protocols as an absolutely necessary step for surgeons. According to reports, many doctors find these protocols to be unnecessary burdens.

Both fellow doctors and patient safety advocates have responded positively to Dr. Ring’s call for a heightened emphasis on pre-surgery safety checklists. Not only will enhanced safety protocols decrease doctors’ liability in medical malpractice lawsuits, they will also likely improve the overall surgical outcomes for many patients.

Further, Dr. Ring has stated that the feedback to his public admission of error has been “incredibly positive” and meant a great deal to him, “considering how devastating this was for me and my patient.”

Dr. Ring’s lesson rings particularly true in today’s medical world, where shoddy treatment routinely leads to personal injury lawsuits. According to a medical injury report by the Department of Health and Human Services, roughly 14 percent of Medicare patients are harmed by mistakes made during treatment.

Common types of medical malpractice revealed by the study include excessive bleeding after surgeries, complications from the prescription of incorrect medicines, and urinary tract infections due to the misuse of catheters.

Most surprisingly, these researchers estimated that negligent medical treatment contributes to roughly 180,000 patient deaths each year. In order to avoid the harsh effects of mistreatment, some experts recommend bringing someone with you to the hospital to help you voice your concerns, and knowing all your medications.

If you or someone you love has been victimized by medical malpractice, contact a local injury lawyer today to learn more about your legal rights.

Full post as published by The Injury Blog on December 07, 2010 (boomark / email).