Surgeons are subject to some of the most rigorous professional standards in the medical world. They undergo years of training and internships before they can perform surgeries on their own. They generally have multiple professionals in the operating theater with them during procedures to provide support.
Surgeons need to follow best practices as established by others in their area of specialization and the facility that employs them. Unfortunately, sometimes major mistakes still occur during surgery. People who experience a never event may have grounds for a medical malpractice lawsuit based on surgical errors.
A never event should never occur
Not every surgical error is a never event. Sometimes, a slip of the wrist is sufficient to impact a patient’s health or undermine the success of treatment. Never events are far more than minor mistakes.
They are egregious errors that should never occur in a well-run medical facility. There are many types of never events, but three categories of never events are among the most common.
Wrong procedure errors occur when surgeons perform a procedure on the wrong patient or make mistakes regarding the procedure required by a patient. Wrong-site surgeries involve surgeons operating on the wrong part of the body. Frequently, these errors involve operating on the wrong side of the body.
Finally, retained foreign bodies are another common never event. Surgeons may close incisions with gauze, clamps and other surgical equipment left inside the patient’s body. Those mistakes can have devastating consequences for the patient’s health and finances.
Identifying a surgical never event is the first step toward holding a surgeon or their employer accountable. Medical malpractice lawsuits can help compensate those harmed by egregious mistakes during surgical procedures.