Wrong Site Operation
Unfortunately, wrong site surgeries happen more often than many people realize. These mistakes can be quite devastating, depending on the type of operation performed. In the cases of laser eye surgery, patients may be blinded. With amputations, the wrong limb may be irreversibly and tragically removed. Even when a wrong site operation does not pose an immediate, serious threat to the patient, he or she still undergoes painful, unnecessary, and risky treatment.
The Universal Protocol
While different hospitals and surgical centers may have different requirements for pre-operative verification of the correct surgical site, there also exists what is known as the Universal Protocol. This set of safety procedures were created by The Joint Commission, a nationally-renown society that recognizes health care organizations that emphasize the delivery of safe and exceptional care to their patients.
The three general steps in the Universal Protocol include the following
- Review and verify the patient, his or her records, and all pertinent surgical times during a pre-operative check
- Mark and initial the procedure site, while the patient is still awake and alert
- Take a time-out to go over the patient and procedure one more time before initiating the procedure
If your physician fails to mark the surgery site on your body before taking you in for your operation, or if you do not receive a pre-operative review, then you may fall victim to wrong site surgery.
Contact Us
If you have suffered the unnecessary and painful consequences of a wrong site operation, then you have the right to claim compensation from the physician at fault. To get the strong legal support you need, contact the Washington medical malpractice lawyers of Fuller & Fuller today by calling 1-800-570-4878.