Wrong Site Surgery Malpractice in Toledo

Any time you undergo a medical procedure, you trust the doctors and surgical staff will prioritize your safety and take necessary precautions to prevent careless and avoidable errors. Unfortunately, inexcusable mistakes—such as operations performed on the wrong body part or patient—still occasionally occur in hospitals.

When you or a loved one experience harm because of wrong site surgery malpractice in Toledo, a skilled surgical error attorney at Zoll & Kranz, LLC, may be able to help you investigate your legal options.

Types of Surgeries Associated with Wrong Site Malpractice

A wrong site operation occurs when a doctor performs surgery on the incorrect body part. This mistake can happen when a surgeon operates on the wrong:

• Eye
• Ear
• Leg
• Foot
• Arm
• Hand
• Organ

Wrong site malpractice can occur in any surgery, but it is more prevalent in orthopedic, podiatric, urological, and neurosurgical operations.

Wrong site surgeries can happen in different manners. Commonly, these mistakes occur under the following circumstances:

• When a surgeon operates on the wrong patient
• When a surgeon operates on the correct side and body part, but performs the wrong type of operation
• When a surgeon operates on the opposite side of the body, particularly with paired body parts—such as legs, arms, eyes, kidneys, or ovaries
• When a surgeon operates on the correct side of the body, but the wrong body part: For example, surgery on the correct hand but the wrong finger

These types of errors are inexcusable. A dedicated Toledo wrong site surgery attorney could help fight for justice, fair compensation, and accountability.

Reasons Why Wrong Site Operations Occur in Toledo

When hospital staff members fail to comply with established procedures that meet the recognized standard of care, mistakes can occur that can cause confusion among surgical staff members.

Failure to Mark the Surgical Site on the Patient’s Body

Prior to surgery, many patients might recall their doctor or another medical worker taking a pen and physically marking the body part that was supposed to be operated on. Although this might seem old-fashioned or unfamiliar to some patients, it is a proven method that hospitals employ to prevent wrong-site surgeries.

Hospitals must have a formal system in place to verify the surgical site and consistently follow it. For instance, while some hospitals mark the body part to be operated on, other hospitals may mark an “X” on the untouched side of the body. Hospitals must communicate their policy with surgical staff and consistently adhere to a single plan.

Failure to Have a Surgical Checklist

Hospitals should have a written pre-operative checklist for medical staff to follow. By having a checklist where surgeons and staff can mark each item, the likelihood of preventable errors is reduced.

Lack of Communication

All staff members involved in a patient’s care must communicate with each other effectively to prevent mistakes.

A seasoned wrong site surgery malpractice lawyer in Toledo could investigate what happened in a particular case—paying particular attention to the pre-operative and operating room procedures—to determine where the surgical team acted negligently.

Work With a Toledo Wrong Site Surgery Malpractice Attorney

Wrong site surgery malpractice in Toledo is never acceptable. Operating on the wrong body part can have life-threatening health consequences for patients. Even if the surgery does not compromise the patient’s health, it can result in unnecessary pain, additional medical procedures, work absences, and other losses.

When a surgical team operates on the wrong body part, you deserve justice. Reach out to a committed legal professional at Zoll & Kranz, LLC, to fight back. Schedule your initial consultation today.