For many, undergoing surgery is a stressful situation. However, it is necessary for some patients in Texas to do so in order to protect and promote their health. Perhaps an added stressor of facing such a procedure is the concern of becoming a victim of surgical errors -- an issue that occurs far too often. For example, one out-of-state woman claims that she had to undergo an additional procedure on the same day because doctors removed the wrong rib.
In a recently filed lawsuit, the 60-year-old patient claims that she needed part of her eighth rib removed because it had a precancerous lesion. In preparation for the surgery, it is alleged that doctors marked the correct rib with dye and coils. Following the surgery, she began experiencing pain, prompting an X-ray. She claims she was informed by a doctor that the X-ray revealed that doctors had actually removed part of her seventh rib -- a mistake that should have been obvious due to the lack of coils recovered in the procedure. She required additional surgery to remove the section of the correct rib.
While the hospital claims that she was informed of the mistake and received an apology, she argues that no apology was received. Additionally, she claims that a second doctor attempted to hide the mistake by saying that surgeons had simply failed to remove enough of the eighth rib. Although the lawsuit indicates that the woman requested that this doctor not be involved in the follow-up surgery, her medical records indicate that her request was ignored.
It is fortunate in this case that the surgical errors were discovered relatively quickly following the procedure. However, if the allegations made in the case are true, a patient had to undergo back-to-back surgeries as a result of a mistake that should have never been made. People in Texas have suffered similarly. Fortunately, there is legal recourse available. A successfully presented case could result in an award of damages that would allow such victims to cope with the additional burdens created by a medical care provider's failure to meet the accepted standard of care. Consultation service from the Maloney attorneys is free. Contact us today to get started.