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Surgical errors: when a medical object is left inside a patient

It happens about 1,500 times a year – a foreign object is left inside a patient after surgery. This is one kind of medical mistake that can take months or even years to uncover, since many times patients feel that something is not quite right, but neither they nor their doctors can figure out what is wrong.

The problem is even more difficult to pin down when a sponge is left behind in a patient, which happens in about two-thirds of these cases. Sponges look and feel very similar to human tissue, so when left behind they can cause problems for patients but are difficult to find.

The problem can be very serious if a surgical tool is left behind after surgery. Take the recent case of a woman who had a drill bit burr left in her mouth, where it moved on up into her sinus causing her significant pain and suffering. Not surprisingly, that case led to a dental malpractice lawsuit.

How common is the problem of left behind surgical objects?

In reality it is very difficult to tell how often this kind of medical error is made. Objects left behind in a patient happen in one in 8,000 surgeries according to some studies, however experts caution that the incidence is probably much higher. One study claimed that four extra days were added to the average U.S. hospital stay because of complications from left behind objects, and 57 people died as a result.

How do objects get left behind in a patient?

It is standard protocol in hospitals these days for nurses to count every object that goes into a patient, and count again as everything is taken out after a surgery. If the number of objects put into a patient does not match the number taken out of a patient, then the patient cannot be closed up until everything is found and taken out.

However, there are several ways that an object can be left behind and not caught:

  • Human error, especially in complex surgeries that require hundreds of sponges
  • Unusual number of items in a package (ex, if a package is supposed to have 10 sponges but actually has more – and this isn’t noticed)
  • In the rush of an emergency situation a surgical item is used, then forgotten
  • Items may become lost more easily in patients with a high body mass index (BMI)

Suffering after a medical mistake? Get help here.

If you or someone you know is suffering because of a preventable medical error in Virginia or North Carolina, then there is hope. The skilled medical malpractice attorneys at Tavss Fletcher have experience with a variety of different doctor, nurse, healthcare provider, dental and hospital mistakes. Please contact their Norfolk law office to speak with an experienced personal injury attorney about your situation.

TAVSS FLETCHER

RBC Centura

555 East Main Street, 14th Floor

Norfolk, VA 23510

Telephone: (757) 625-1214

Facsimile: (757) 622-7295


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Tavss Fletcher
RBC Centura
555 East Main Street
14th Floor
Norfolk, VA 23510
Phone: 757.625.1214
Fax: 757.622.7295
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