If you are having surgery or certain types of medical procedures, an anesthesiologist will be an important part of your medical team. The anesthesiologist is responsible for ensuring that the patient enters a medical state known as anesthesia, which means the patient will not be awake or aware of the pain of a medical procedure. Doctors, anesthesiologists, and nurses may all be responsible for ensuring that a patient is given the right sort of medication to induce anesthesia and is monitored carefully during the entire procedure.
A lot can go wrong when a patient is under anesthesia. In fact, many people consider the anesthesiologist’s job to be more dangerous than that of the surgeon. Many surgical mistakes and surgical malpractice lawsuits in Hollywood and Florida happens because of anesthesia malpractice. If you have suffered an injury while under anesthesia, do not hesitate to contact Flaxman Law Group for a free case review.
Steps to Keep You Safe
In the rights hands, anesthesia is an important medical option that allows patients to have surgery and other procedures free of pain and distress. With the right anesthesia, the patient is kept still and safe so that a surgeon can do their job.
Anesthesiologists have many tools to keep patients safe. They use special monitors to track of oxygen saturation to ensure that there is enough oxygen in the patient’s arterial blood. The American Society of Anesthesiologists has created special procedures to help anesthesiologists keep patients safe. Many operating rooms today are equipped with advanced equipment that can tell doctors, nurses, and anesthesiologists the instant that a patient is under distress.
What Can Go Wrong with Anesthesia?
There are many types of anesthesia complications and injuries that can result in a legal claim:
- Waking up during surgery
- Coma
- Fatalities
- Nerve damage
- Paraplegia or quadriplegia
- Loss of limb function
- Brain injury
- Collapsed lung
- Stroke
- Heart attack
- Brain injury
- Damage to the airway
One reason why anesthesia can be so dangerous has to do with the medication used. Overdosing the patient or using the wrong mixture of medication can lead to serious complications. In addition, during anesthesia the patient will usually be intubated to have medication directly delivered to their system. If the anesthesiologist incorrectly intubates the patient, the patient may suffer damage to the airway. More seriously, incorrect intubation can mean that the patient may not get enough oxygen to their system, which can lead to stroke, brain damage or injury, and other serious and potentially life-threatening complications.
Do You Have a Claim?
If you have had surgery or a medical procedure requiring anesthesia and have suffered an injury, you deserve answers. If you have lost a loved one due to a preventable anesthesia error, you deserve legal advice. Any time that there is an adverse medical effect after a medical procedure, you may suffer significant damages. You may have to pay for additional surgery to correct the problem or lose time away from work or require expensive medical care.
If you have suffered an injury in a hospital, dentist’s office, operating room, clinic, or any medical setting in Hollywood or Southern Florida, you can always contact Flaxman Law Group for a free accident consultation to find out whether you have a claim. Our law offices specialize in personal injury law rather than taking on all cases. We have built our offices with a network of professionals and the professional tools we need to help clients see their case through to a final resolution. Our many resources mean we can stand by you every step of the way. Call us today to find out about your rights.