As patients, we place an enormous amount of trust in our surgeons and medical teams when undergoing operations. However, it’s important to be aware that even highly trained professionals can make mistakes. How often do these mistakes happen?
Surgical errors by the numbers
One category of surgical errors that occurs when surgeons operate on the wrong patient or operate on the wrong body part or wrong side of the body of the correct patient. These errors occur in around 1 out of every 112,000 operations, meaning that these errors occur once per hospital every 5 to 10 years.
Unfortunately, these errors are not the only type of mistakes that can impact patients. Another serious type of surgical error involves leaving foreign objects inside patients after operations. Common items left behind include surgical sponges, broken device components, and even larger instruments like scissors. There were 110 cases of retained surgical items reported in 2023 alone.
How can these surgical errors impact patients?
Surgical procedures are meant to heal and improve patients’ lives, but when errors occur, the consequences can be severe and far-reaching. The most immediate and obvious impact of surgical errors is on a patient’s physical health. Depending on the type and severity of the error, patients may suffer pain, infections, organ damage and the need for corrective procedures.
The impact on patient health is only one challenge they may face after a surgical error. Patients may struggle with their mental health or have difficulty trusting healthcare providers in the future. Recovering from the impact of a surgical error can also be costly, and some patients may suffer permanent disabilities or require ongoing care.
While surgical errors are relatively rare, their impact can be devastating when they do occur. Thankfully, a medical malpractice lawsuit allows patients and their loved ones to hold healthcare providers accountable for the impact of their mistakes and seek support as they recover.