Thoracic Surgery Injury Attorney St Louis
At The Gogel Law Firm, our St. Louis medical malpractice lawyer knows that all types of surgeries come with inherent risks, which must be thoroughly explained to Missouri patients before their procedures.
Cardiothoracic surgery — often simply called thoracic surgery — is the surgical treatment of organs in the chest areas, including the heart, lungs, esophagus, trachea, or other areas, which come with significant risks because of the delicate body parts involved.
Here is what thoracic surgery patients need to know about their rights.
Why Do Missouri Residents Have Thoracic Surgery?
Thoracic surgery includes any operation to treat an issue in the chest and upper abdomen, including heart valve repair, lung tumor removal, or aneurysm in the chest.
Other thoracic surgery requirements may stem from:
- Barrett’s esophagus.
- Congenital heart issues.
- Coronary artery disease.
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
- Heart failure.
- Heart or lung transplants.
- Hiatal hernias.
- Irregular heart rhythms.
- Lung cancer.
- Swallowing issues.
Can I Be Injured During Cardiothoracic Surgery?
Thoracic surgery of any type is typically highly invasive, which means there are inherent risks that come with the procedures.
Complications can range from minor and easily treated problems to extremely serious and life-threatening postoperative conditions.
Those complications include:
- Abnormal heart rhythms.
- Blood clots.
- Blood loss.
- Depression.
- Heart attack.
- Heart failure.
- Internal bleeding.
- Kidney failure.
- Lung collapse.
- Major infections, including pneumonia.
- Separation of the sternum.
- Stroke.
- Swelling in the lungs, called pulmonary edema.
- Wrongful death.
Complications after surgery have the potential to prolong hospital stays and extend the time required for a full recovery. When medical problems associated with thoracic surgery are caused by negligence, you may have a medical malpractice claim.
What are the Most Common Cardiothoracic Surgical Errors?
At The Gogel Law Firm, our St. Louis surgical errors attorney knows that thoracic surgery complications are not always out of the physician’s control.
Some of the most common cardiothoracic surgery errors include:
- Carelessness.
- Failure to adequately manage postoperative medical care.
- Leaving surgical equipment inside the body.
- Negligence.
- Perforating an organ, tissue, or nerve during surgery.
- Surgeon’s poor judgment.
When a surgeon negligently performs an operation, including thoracic surgery, that results in harm to the patient, the injured party may be eligible to file a medical malpractice claim in Missouri.
Contact our St. Louis medical malpractice attorney today to review your case by calling (314) 370-8173 or online to schedule a free consultation to learn more about your legal rights and options to pursue the physician, surgery center, hospital where your surgery was performed, or a combination of each for your full financial recovery.
