Surgical Tools Left in the Body After Surgery
When you undergo surgery, you have enough to worry about without having to consider what would happen if the surgeon left tools in your body after the operation. However, this is tragic occurrence that affects an estimated 1500 people each year, and it often requires another surgery to fix the problem.
Doctors and their surgical teams rely on a wide variety of different tools to complete their task. Thus, although guidelines issued by groups like the Association of Operating Room Nurses require staff to count objects such as sponges before and after surgery, mistakes can still occur. The most commonly retained object is a sponge, while knives, needles, clamps, and towels can also be left inside your body.
Consequences of Foreign Objects Left in the Body
It may take years before a person realizes that he or she has a medical instrument retained inside. During this time, the tool can cause infections and internal damage that may need a second operation to find or fix the problem. While metal implements can be detected with x-rays, sponges are especially difficult to find unless the medical team uses special x-ray detectable sponges during your surgery.
Tools are most often left in the abdominal cavity, but instances of instruments left in the thoracic cavity and other parts of the body have also occurred. Additionally, there are certain things that can increase your chances of having this problem, including:
- Being obese or overweight
- Undergoing an emergency surgery
- Having a change in the operation plan during the surgery
You should be able to rely on your surgeon and operating room staff to stay aware of the tools that they are using around your body. However, sometimes doctors can perform negligently, resulting in injuries to you or someone you love.
Contact Us
If you have suffered from this type of medical mistake, or any other form of medical malpractice, contact the experienced Atlanta medical malpractice lawyers of Webb, Wade, Taylor & Thompson, LLC, for help. For more information, call 770-631-1811 today
