You’re Supposed To Improve After Surgery, Not Get Worse

When you go in for surgery, you’re already in need of help. Surgery is often a last resort to fix an issue, whether it is a medical one or an injury. However, surgical intervention isn’t always 100% effective, and it certainly comes with many risks.

At , we’ve built a reputation across Chicago for thorough, straightforward representation for any injury, including medical malpractice. When people are suffering after surgical error, they want to know their lawyers are skilled and prepared to pursue the compensation they deserve. Our lawyers are here to answer all the questions ahead of you, including some common questions such as:

What Are Some Examples Of Surgical Error?

The most common surgical errors are things such as:

• Unneeded surgery
• Anesthesia errors
• Removing the wrong organ
• Leaving foreign objects behind
• Infections
• Receiving surgery meant for another patient

All of these are avoidable if your surgical team exercised the correct amount of care leading up to your surgery date.

How Common Are Surgical Errors?

Surgical errors are rare, but not as rare as anyone would like. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), there are around 4000 surgical errors every single year in the United States. This is a small number when compared with the 40-50 million surgeries performed each year. Still, this means 4000 people across the country went into surgery hoping for better health and coming home with a serious, new condition.

How Do You Determine A Side Effect From A Surgical Error?

It can be hard to know, simply by how you feel, if you are experiencing a side effect or actual errors of the surgery.

Here are a few signs that may mean your recovery is not going as planned:

• Your pain does not lessen over time
• Abnormal bumps in the area of the surgery
• Consistent fevers and signs of infection
• Other growing health problems, such as difficulty breathing

The longer you go post-surgery with difficulties that you never had before, the more serious your condition is. You should seek medical intervention whenever your symptoms grow beyond the set expectations of your recovery.

Complications And Other Standard Risks Of Surgery?

Surgery is rough on your body, and there is no mistaking that. Successful, minor surgery on your shoulder can leave you in recovery for up to 6-8 weeks with long term therapy for strength. There are often complications, such as:

• Stitches that do not close properly
• Ineffective interventions
• Long-term pain

Complications from surgery are common and expected. But there are limits to how long you should feel bad after you’ve seen a doctor. That’s when you should turn to a skilled attorney. Contact us to find out how we can help you. Call 312-702-0872 or send an email using this form.