Tools Left in the Body after Surgery
When you undergo surgery, you have enough to worry about regarding your health without having to imagine the possibility of the surgical team leaving tools in your body after the surgery. Sadly, though, this is a very real threat, with an estimated 1,500 people affected by this problem each year. In fact, because some tools are difficult to detect, there could be many more that we do not yet know about.
Should an instrument remain in your body after surgery, it can cause even more damage as well as serious infections. If you or someone you know has suffered from this type of surgical error, contact a Springfield medical malpractice attorney from the firm of Strong-Garner-Bauer, P.C., today at 417-887-4300.
Risk Factors
Although surgeons and surgery room nurses should always carefully count their tools before and after the process, there are certain risk factors that can increase your chances for having this tragedy happen to you. These include:
- Being overweight or obese
- Undergoing an emergency surgery
- Having a change in your surgical plan during the operation
Additionally, operations in the abdominal cavity are most often subject to lost instruments, followed by the thoracic cavity. However, in one study, no area of the body was unaffected by this error.
Contact Us
Sponges, clothes, knives, needles, scalpels, and clamps can all become misplaced in your body during a surgery. Often, you may have to undergo another surgery to fix the mistake from the past operation. To help you fight for your rights to a safe, well-performed surgery, contact a Springfield medical malpractice lawyer from the trusted firm of Strong-Garner-Bauer, P.C., at 417-887-4300 today to discuss your case.