When you have surgery under local anesthesia, the anesthesiologist will sometimes administer nerve block to temporarily disrupt the signals within the nerves. This is usually done by injecting lidocaine or bupivacaine. With these injections, the nerve block will usually last a few hours, keeping that area of the body immobilized and free of pain so a surgeon can operate on the area safely without hurting you. As the injections wear off, you should be able to resume normal use of your limbs and nerves.
Unfortunately, while most of the time nerve blocks are administered correctly and wear off normally, some patients experience complications. In cases where the complications may have been caused by medical or anesthesia malpractice in Hollywood or South Florida, contact Flaxman Law Group for a free case evaluation. If negligence played a role in your injuries, you may have a legal claim.
What do Patients Experience with This type of Anesthesia Error?
When something goes wrong with nerve blocks, patients may experience nerve injury in the area where the nerve block was used. In addition, patients can also experience infections, vascular punctures, or hematoma with incorrectly administered nerve blocks. Injury caused by this sort of situation can result in:
- Seizures
- Numbness or loss of sensation in the affected area
- Loss of motor function or mobility
- Disfigurement or scarring
- Paralysis
In some cases, the complication can be fixed. In other cases, however, patients may suffer severe, permanent injury that leaves them unable to return to work or regular activities.
Do I Have a Claim?
If your nerve block or local anesthetic surgery resulted in injury, you may have a claim if the medical issue was caused by negligence. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to determine whether recklessness took place. Usually, in Florida courts judges will consider whether another doctor would have performed the surgery differently or taken different steps to prevent the injury. If your anesthesiologist was not board certified, if the use of surgical tourniquets or medical devices was not correct, or if someone in the operating room made a preventable error you may have a claim. A common cause of nerve block injuries happens if the patient is not correctly positioned during the surgery. In some cases, this can be a sign of negligence.
If you have been injured as a result of a surgical procedure, contact a personal injury attorney at Flaxman Law Group. Our attorneys can get copies of medical records and consult with medical consultants to find out what should have been done during the surgery and what occurred during your procedure. If there are signs of negligence, our legal team can gather the evidence and launch a legal claim if that is what you decide to do.
If you have been injured and aren’t sure what to do, contact Flaxman Law Group today. We offer a free accident consultation so that you can discuss the strengths and merits of your case before you make any decisions about what you’d like to do in your situation. Your first consultation is absolutely free and comes with no obligation, so you risk nothing by getting legal advice about your injury.