What Can I Do If A Surgeon Left Something In My Body During Surgery? 

 Posted on March 04, 2022 in Medical Malpractice

Most people find the prospect of getting major surgery frightening enough even in the best of circumstances. Between the anesthesia, the complexity of the surgery, and the process of recovery, there is good reason to be apprehensive about the risks involved. One odd but particularly dangerous risk is that of an Illinois surgeon who leaves a foreign object inside of a body during surgery. While most surgeons adhere to the standard of care and this does not often happen, when it does, it can have severe and life-threatening implications for the patient. If you have gotten surgery in Illinois and a negligent surgeon has left a surgical tool, sponge, or other items in your body, you may want to take legal action through a medical malpractice lawsuit.

What is a Never Event? 

An item left inside a human body during surgery is often referred to as a “never event.” A never event is a mistake that is completely preventable by following proper care protocol and that, therefore, should never happen. Yet one study found that foreign objects are left inside bodies nearly 40 times a week in the U.S. When objects are left inside the body, they must first be detected - nearly always after a patient complains of severe pain and is subject to repeated testing - and the removal itself requires more surgery, along with its inherent risks. Common patient complaints include: 

• Vomiting or coughing up blood

• Bloody stools

• Chronic constipation

• Pain or difficulty urinating

• Drainage from the wound site

• An overall, inexplicable decline in health following the surgery

• Severe pain in the wound area

• Swelling and tenderness

• Fever, headaches, and dizziness

While many of these post-surgical complaints symptoms are common, especially after major surgery, physicians should closely monitor patient progress to determine whether the cause of adverse symptoms could be unrelated to normal surgical recovery.

Take Action Right Away

While the idea of investigating a medical malpractice lawsuit may seem daunting, especially if you are recovering from surgery or have lost a loved one due to medical malpractice, Illinois’ medical malpractice statute of limitations does not allow lawsuits to be pursued more than four years after the event of malpractice, or more than two years after the injuries were discovered. This makes acting quickly essential for obtaining justice. Fortunately, a skilled Illinois personal injury can work with you to make the lawsuit manageable.

Call a Glen Ellyn Surgery Medical Malpractice Lawyer

Finding out that a foreign object has been left in your body after surgery can be a horrifying experience, to say nothing of the additional pain and suffering caused by the procedures needed to rectify the situation. If you have suffered from serious medical malpractice at the hands of a negligent surgeon, call the experienced Glen Ellyn medical malpractice attorneys at Schwartz Injury Law. Contact us today to schedule a free case review at 708-888-2160.

Source: 

https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=073500050K2-622