Local Law Firms Home > Medical Malpractice Overview > Surgical Mistakes > Wrong Site Surgery Wrong site surgery occurs when a surgeon accidentally operates on the wrong part of the patient’s body. For example, a person going in for a heart operation may have their liver operated on by accident, and this would be example of a wrong site surgery. Wrong site surgery can be extremely dangerous for a number of reasons, aside from the fact that the area that needed surgery did not get the surgery in needed. Even in cases when the patient survives and does not suffer any negative health repercussions, this is completely unacceptable and the responsible party should be penalized for such actions.
In 2003, a three-step procedure, known as the “Universal Protocol” was presented by the JCAHO, covering that physicians execute surgical techniques on the right place and to ensure that wrong site surgery does not occur in innocent patients. The method established includes a sequence of check-lists covering over and over that the surgical techniques is performed effectively and on the appropriate individual. The first sequence includes conducting a pre-surgical procedure confirmation procedure. This includes making sure that the appropriate certification such as sufferer recognition, lab tests, step-by-step organizing and effectively signed certification is all in order before performing the surgical techniques. The second sequence includes observing surgical techniques. The third and ultimate sequence is a “Time out” before starting the procedure. Presently, any analysis is made of all the before sequences. Did you lose a loved one as a result of wrong site surgery? Our surgical malpractice lawyers are here to help. Contact a medical malpractice attorney in your area as soon as possible to find out more about recovering damages in a wrongful death lawsuit. Did you know? While this method is strongly in place, precise mistakes including incorrect techniques are much more common than medical service providers would want us to believe.
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