Wrong Surgical Site Injury Lawyers in St. Louis, Missouri
At The Gogel Law Firm, our St. Louis medical malpractice attorneys know that Missouri has some of the most skilled physicians and surgeons working at local hospitals throughout the state.
Unfortunately, even with their renowned status in the medical industry, surgical errors continue to occur here and across the nation.
According to the National Library of Medicine, throughout the U.S., more than 4,000 preventable mistakes occur every year during surgical procedures. Most, or 60%, of these errors, including wrong site surgical errors, cause temporary injuries. However, 33% cause permanent harm, and nearly 7% of surgical errors lead to the wrongful death of a patient.
What is a Wrong Site Surgery?
According to ECRI, a global, independent authority on healthcare technology and safety, wrong-site surgery is a broad, generic term that encompasses all surgical procedures performed on the wrong patient, the wrong body part, or the wrong side of the body; it can also describe performing the wrong procedure on, or performing on the wrong part of, a correctly identified anatomic site.
The National Institutes of Health reported that, despite universal medical protocols being put in place, the problem of wrong site surgery has not improved and may be getting worse. Based on state data, joint commission officials estimate that wrong site surgery occurs 40 times a week in hospitals and clinics throughout the nation.
That leads to an estimated 1,300 to 2,700 cases of wrong site procedures occurring every year in the U.S.
Medical Malpractice Claims Including:
- Anesthesia Error
- Birth Injuries
- Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography
- Delayed Diagnosis
- Emergency Room Cases
- Failure to Diagnosis Cancer
- Failure to Diagnosis Stroke
- Opioid Death
- Surgical Errors
- Hospital Negligence
Why Do Wrong Site Surgeries Continue to Happen in Missouri?
Our wrong site surgery medical malpractice attorney in St. Louis knows that even the idea of a medical professional performing surgery on the wrong patient, body party, or side of the body is an egregious thought.
However, according to the American Hospital Association, preventable injuries and tragic deaths continue to occur because of:
- Distracted surgeon and/or staff.
- Impaired surgeon and/or staff.
- Improper communication between the surgeon and medical support staff.
- Missing pre-op documents, including consent, history, and physical, surgeon’s booking orders, and operating room schedule are missing, inconsistent, or incorrect.
- Primary documentation is not used to verify patient, procedure, site, and side immediately before incision.
- Multiple procedures during a single surgical visit.
- Multiple surgeons participated in the operation.
- Scheduling errors.
- Site marks are removed during preparation.
- Unusual time or production pressures to start or complete the procedure.
Contact Our Skilled Wrong Surgical Site Injury Attorneys in St. Louis at the Gogel Law Firm Today to Schedule a Free Consultation
If you or someone you love has suffered a personal injury or lost their life because of a wrong site surgical procedure 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 best outcome for your unique claim.
