Pre-Operative Malpractice
Pre-operative care is the treatment and care that a patient receives before undergoing surgery. Depending upon the type of procedure, pre-operative care may begin a few days or a few weeks before surgery, and can include both physical and psychological preparation.
Another important aspect of pre-operative care is obtaining the patient’s informed consent for the procedure. As part of the informed-consent process, the patient should receive critical information about possible risks and complications before signing consent forms.
The successful outcome of a surgical procedure can be significantly affected if the patient isn’t adequately prepared. When a patient suffers serious injury or illness as a result of poor pre-operative care, pre-operative malpractice is the legal term for the type of claim that can be brought against the doctor or hospital.
Pre-operative malpractice can arise from virtually any surgical procedure, but some of the most common examples of the negligent care that would merit a malpractice case include:
- Anesthesia error;
- Medication error;
- Diagnostic error (including failure to notice changes in the patient’s condition);
- Failure to obtain patient consent;
- Rushed instructions or preparation.
Anesthesia errors are of particular concern. They can include administering too much or too little anesthesia, failing to monitor oxygen intake or a making a mistake in determining whether the patient could suffer an allergic reaction to the anesthetic medication.
For instance, an anesthesiologist could misjudge the dosage based on errors in calculating the patient’s weight or by failing to properly examine medical records. The result of these errors could include death, heart attack, brain and nerve damage or spinal cord injuries.
If the error involves “anesthesia awareness,” in which the patient becomes conscious during the operation and suffers extreme physical pain and mental trauma, a victim may be able to recover from the long-term emotional distress.
When an anesthesia error occurs, the anesthesiologist, surgeon or other medical staff could be held liable as well as the hospital itself if the injury is the product of defective or inadequate equipment.
Inadequate pre-operative care can have very serious consequences for the patient, including:
- Poor recovery;
- Poor surgical results;
- Disfigurement;
- Excessive pain;
- Emotional stress; and
- Death.
If you have concerns about your medical care, a medical malpractice attorney with experience in pre-operative malpractice error claims can help evaluate the circumstances of your injury or illness. Please contact Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C. for a free, no-obligation consultation at 877.420.1269. Please keep in mind that there are strict deadlines for filing medical malpractice actions. The statute of limitations may be running on your claim, so time is of the essence.
For more than two decades, the medical malpractice attorneys at Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C. have represented malpractice victims in legal claims across Illinois, including but not limited to Chicago, Lake County, Cook County, Aurora, Rockford, Naperville, Joliet, Springfield, North Peoria, Peoria, Elgin, Waukegan, DuPage County, Will County, Kane County, Winnebago County, McHenry County, Madison County, and St. Clair County.
