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Patients who have been injured in an outpatient surgical procedure may want to contact a medical negligence lawyer Salt Lake City UT residents trust. National statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveal that the number of outpatient surgeries spiked from 11 million procedures performed in one year to almost 60 million annual outpatient surgeries a decade later. There are now almost as many outpatient surgeries performed each year as there are inpatient surgeries.
Surgeries that were once done in hospitals under the care of a fully-staffed operating room are now being performed right in doctors’ offices. This may decrease the amount of medical expenses that insurance companies may have to pay out, but it also greatly increases the risks of surgical errors and other incidents of medical negligence.
Why the Change in Procedure?
A medical negligence lawyer Salt Lake City UT offers may have seen an increase in the number of clients who have been injured outpatient surgical procedures. The cost of performing these surgical procedures in an outpatient facility instead of in a hospital is typically substantial when it comes to costs that insurance companies or Medicaid have to pay. It is also standard practice for Medicaid and insurance companies to pay a lower reimbursement fee for hospital procedures, while they might pay full-rate for procedures done in a doctor’s office.
Hospital Surgery vs. Office Surgery
Some of the most common types of outpatient surgeries now include cataract surgery, gallbladder removal, hernia repair, lumpectomy, muscle repair, small joint repair, and tendon repair.
One of the most obvious differences that a medical negligence lawyer in Salt Lake City UT may have noticed is the increase in the number of clients who have been injured in outpatient surgery. The concern is that as outpatient procedures become more commonplace, with the patient being sent home immediately following surgery instead of spending a day or two under the trained and watchful eye of medical personnel, these numbers could continue to rise.
Common Types of Surgical Errors in Outpatient Centers
Patients who receive surgical procedures at outpatient centers are at an increased risk of suffering injuries, as a medical negligence lawyer Salt Lake City UT residents trust can confirm. There can be a lack of oversight at outpatient centers, including communication issues among medical staff. In addition, even the most experienced of surgeons can make preventable and serious medical mistakes. Let’s take a closer look at some of the common types of surgical errors in outpatient centers:
- Operating on the Wrong Body Part: It may seem hard to believe, but some surgeons have operated on the wrong body part. For example, it is quite common for surgeons to operate on the wrong area of the spine, as a medical negligence lawyer Salt Lake City UT clients respect can attest. To prevent this, patients may want to speak to their surgeon beforehand to discuss the specifics of the operation and the safeguards that they will put into place to avoid mistakes.
- Leaving Foreign Objects in a Patient’s Body: A medical negligence lawyer in Salt Lake City UT from Rasmussen & Miner has helped patients who had foreign objects, such as scalpels and clamps, left in their body after surgery. This can lead to extreme pain and severe infection. Surgeons can avoid making this error by having a standard materials checklist.
- Nerve Damage: If a surgeon is not very precise during a surgical procedure, he or she can injure the patient. Just one slip of a scalpel or other sharp surgical instrument can damage a nerve, leading to serious complications.
- Wrong Patient Surgery: There have been several occurrences when surgeons have performed surgeries on the wrong patients, as a medical negligence lawyer Salt Lake City UT residents rely on can verify. There can be various reasons for this, including miscommunication and a lack of preoperative verification.
- Infection: Patients can contract infections if surgical instruments are not cleaned properly. Those with compromised immune systems are especially in danger because they can develop sepsis.
- Organ Damage: Sometimes neighboring organs can get accidentally punctured by a surgical instrument during operations. Organs are very delicate and can get damaged quite easily. A Salt Lake City medical negligence lawyer has provided legal representation for patients whose organs suffered permanent damage from this.
Surgical Mistakes Can Lead to Serious Complications
Surgical mistakes made in outpatient centers are serious matters and often result in complications, as a medical negligence lawyer Salt Lake City UT clients depend on from Rasmussen & Miner can explain. A slip of a scalpel or other surgical instrument, for example, can lead to urine leakage and internal bleeding. If surgeons do not promptly repair their mistakes, it can lead to even more bodily damage.
To reduce the risk of making these errors, it is important for surgeons to properly plan for every surgical procedure, communicate effectively with other medical staff, and stay completely focused during each procedure. Surgeons should also be fully rested before they perform each surgery. A from Rasmussen & Miner medical negligence lawyer Salt Lake City UT offers has successfully brought lawsuits against many surgeons who were fatigued during surgery and caused injury to patients.
Let a Medical Negligence Lawyer Salt Lake City UT Victims Trust Fight for You
If you or someone in your family has been a victim of surgical error or some other medical negligence, you might wish to contact a medical negligence lawyer Salt Lake City UT victims depend on. A Salt Lake City medical negligence lawyer may carefully review your case and advise you on your legal options against the physician and/or medical facility. It is important to keep in mind that, under state medical malpractice laws, a victim only has a certain amount of time from the date of injury to file a claim for damages. Do not delay in contacting an experienced lawyer for counsel.
The attorneys at Rasmussen & Miner are happy to discuss your case in detail during a complimentary case evaluation. To schedule an appointment with a trusted medical negligence lawyer Salt Lake City UT has to offer, contact us today at (801) 363-8500 or fill out a contact form from our website.