All surgeries carry certain risks. Even a basic wisdom tooth extraction can cause facial paralysis. That is a fact of medicine. There are also associated complications with every type of surgery. These can all be normal, and most can be controlled or mitigated to avoid causing severe or life-threatening complications. However, some of these risks and complications can be completely avoided. Other risks and complications are actually the result of medical malpractice and should not have occurred.
It can be difficult to determine what is a normal risk of surgery and what is a risk enhanced or caused by a surgical error or medical malpractice. When it comes to major surgeries like bariatric surgery, heart surgery, or spinal fusion surgeries, even minor complications or increases in the risk can have disastrous results. Here are some important points to remember when assessing whether your surgical risks and complications are normal or the result of medical malpractice.
Before a procedure the surgeon or medical staff will go over the risks, benefits, and alternatives to the procedure. They will answer any questions you have and explain how the operation will go. They will ask for you to provide your consent to the procedure. This is known as informed consent. This is where all of the risks and complications are explained. However, after the surgery if you are having other symptoms or complications that are never discussed with you or explained to you, this may be because they were not normal risks or complications of the surgery. For instance, if you have a tonsillectomy and you wake up with a shoulder injury, that may be due to medical malpractice due to improper positioning of the arm during the procedure. This is not a normal risk or complication.
If you undergo a surgical procedure and have complications that the surgeon tells you to see a specialist, you should be concerned. This is particularly true if the doctor never discussed with you the possibility of needing a referral. When a doctor refers a patient who is having serious complications to a specialist, it is a sign that something went unexpected and above or beyond what the surgeon can or normally handles.
After the surgery if you need to be admitted to the hospital and require ICU care, you should be concerned. Some surgeries will normally have ICU care. Some procedures it is a possibility. But when there is not mention or it is not normal for ICU care following the surgery, that is a sign that there was a surgical error or medical negligence.
All surgical procedures are complicated and there are many moving parts and issues that need to be addressed. All surgeries also come with risks and complications which are normal to the procedure. They are not medical malpractice, and even the most competent doctors could still have those errors. Further, there are some super risky surgeries that even a perfect procedure could not avoid damages. But there are other cases where the damages are immense from medical malpractice. This is why patients who have had serious risks and complications of surgery should call Kuhlman Law, LLC for a free consultation. Do not guess yourself. Let us hear your case and give you a free opinion whether there was medical malpractice that caused your surgical complications.
We will review your case anywhere in Minnesota, including Minneapolis, St. Paul, Rochester, Duluth, or any other city. Please call Kuhlman Law, LLC by dialing (612) 444-3374 to learn what your rights to compensation you may have. You may also contact us using our easy and convenient “contact us” box at the bottom of our website. Initial consultations and appointments are free. If we accept your case, we will conduct a thorough review of your case and advise you whether there may have been a serious medical mistake causing your injury. There is no risk, and you do not owe us money unless we win your case.
We also handle cases throughout the state including Bend and Portland Oregon, Redmond, Central Oregon, Multnomah County, Deschutes County, Salem, Eugene, Corvallis, Lane County, Medford, Gresham, Albany, Medford, Beaverton, Umatilla, Pendleton, and Hillsboro. Our Oregon office number is (541) 385-1999.