Woman sues hospital over wrong site surgery

Many Maryland patients have been the unfortunate recipients of wrong-site surgeries and other types of surgical errors over the years. A recent case in New England has focused attention on this important issue.

A woman went into a hospital for the removal of a cancer-stricken rib in May 2015. At some point after she was put under anesthetic and prepared for surgery the medical personnel treating her became confused or misdirected in some fashion, and they removed the wrong rib. Although there is evidence that they realized their mistake quickly and tried to bring the woman back for further surgery immediately, the contention of the injured woman was that they were not forthcoming with information about what had occurred and lied to her in an attempt to conceal the error.

The woman has filed a civil suit against the doctors and the hospital. She alleges permanent and debilitating injuries resulting from the error. The plaintiff’s representative pointed out that although a surgeon with expertise in this field reviewed the details of the case and found major irregularities and gaps in proper care, much of their complaint stems from the hospital’s apparent attempt to cover up the accident.

Surgical errors can cause serious harm to a patient and can result in a worsened medical condition that requires additional periods of hospitalization. In many cases, the hospital itself was negligent in addition to the health care practitioners who were directly involved. An attorney representing such a patient can review hospital records and obtain the opinion of medical experts in order to determine who to name as defendants in a medical malpractice lawsuit.

Source: Milford Patch,  Alfred Branch, March 17, 2016