These types of errors are labeled “never events” because they should never occur. Never events include surgery performed on the wrong patient: wrong site, wrong side. While patients and the healthcare industry alike would prefer to believe these never events don’t actually occur, the reality is that they do. According to a Johns Hopkins malpractice study published in 2012, performing the wrong procedure on a patient occurs 20 times per week in the U.S.
Surgery is a personal event. No two surgeries are the same, and the circumstances surrounding each procedure are unique to the patient. Because of the complexity of the surgical process, the medical team caring for the patient needs to be prepared and educated for each event. Significant preparation time is allotted prior to beginning a procedure on a patient.
Some factors that may impact the integrity of the operating room and potentially cause a surgery performed on the wrong patient include the following:
Malpractice is a term that specifically refers to an event where a patient was harmed by the negligence or incompetence of the medical professionals who were responsible for his or her care. While this might sometimes be challenging to prove, in the case of a surgery performed on the wrong patient, the malpractice case is likely to be very strong.
A surgical never event is 100 percent preventable, so if you have experienced harm from such an event in Cleveland, speak to an attorney experienced with medical malpractice cases. An attorney will organize your records, evaluate liability for your surgical malpractice case, and build your case to prove malpractice.
At Ryan, LLP, we specialize in helping families and individuals harmed by medical malpractice or hospital negligence. If you have been the victim of a surgery on the wrong patient, or an unnecessary surgery, you may be entitled to compensation. If you need assistance filing a malpractice case in the Cleveland area, contact us today at 877-864-9495 to set up a consultation.