Of all the potential complications connected to an operation, a foreign object getting left behind after surgery may be the last thing that you expect to happen to you. Unfortunately, this is the terrible reality for thousands of patients who have suffered significant pain and health problems due to an item being unintentionally left behind.
If you or a loved one has suffered an injury due to foreign object retention, contact Barry D. Lang, M.D. & Associates for a free consultation. Our team of Boston surgery error lawyers provide fast and effective case reviews and have 20-plus years of experience in the field of medical malpractice.
How Do Foreign Objects Get Left Behind During Surgeries?
If a surgeon or a member of a surgical team is careless or negligent, this can lead to a foreign object being left in the patient’s body cavity after the procedure ends. Negligence refers to the failure to adhere to the standard of care required by medical professionals, also known as malpractice.
A retained foreign object can refer to a surgical instrument, sponge, cotton ball, catheter, needle, towel or another object used during the operation being left inside of the patient’s body when the incision is sutured shut. It can also refer to pieces of a medical instrument that broke off and are floating inside of the patient.
Leaving any foreign object behind can have serious effects on a patient’s health, including infections and organ damage. Patients who suffer from foreign objects being left behind often report symptoms such as pain in the affected area, bowel obstructions, and fever from infection or sepsis.
Victims of this type of surgical error and medical malpractice often need revision surgeries to remove the foreign object and repair any damage that the object caused. In the most severe cases, a patient with a retained foreign object can pass away due to related complications.
Retained Foreign Objects and Medical Malpractice Claims in Boston
A retained foreign object should never happen during surgery. Hospitals and surgical centers have strict protocols in place to prevent this mistake, such as rules that require surgical teams to count every item and object used before and after the procedure to make sure everything is accounted for. Yet, by some reports, retained foreign objects occur as often as around 40 times per week in the U.S.
Surgeons and other medical providers are not always as careful or prudent as they should be during operations. If a medical practitioner committed an act or omission that a reasonably prudent physician would not have in similar circumstances, and this led to a retained foreign object, the practitioner or hospital can be held responsible with a medical malpractice claim.
A medical malpractice claim is a type of civil lawsuit that seeks financial compensation for a patient who is injured by a medical provider’s breach of the standards of care. To win a Massachusetts malpractice lawsuit, you or a skilled medical malpractice lawyer in Boston must prove that a foreign object is what caused your injury or illness and that the object would not have been left behind were it not for the defendant’s negligence.
Compensation Available for a Foreign Object Surgical Error Case
If you or someone in your family has been subject to a foreign object being left behind, you have rights. You may be entitled to financial compensation from the negligent party or hospital in Boston. You could receive compensation for your related medical bills, revision surgeries, physical pain, emotional trauma, psychological harm, legal fees, and more. Discuss the potential value of your case during a free evaluation with a Boston surgical error lawyer at our law firm.
Get Help From Our Specialized Team of Boston Surgical Error Lawyers
At Barry D. Lang, M.D. & Associates, our staff was trained by our founding attorney, who was also a medical doctor. This gives our team of Boston retained foreign object lawyers a unique perspective on medical malpractice case evaluations. We also have nurses and doctors on staff for fast and effective case reviews; you don’t have to wait for us to send your case to outside experts for analysis. Call 1-877-LAW-DOCS today or contact us online to request your surgical error case consultation with an attorney.