One of the most devastating medical malpractice injuries you can ever face is to have the surgeon operate on the wrong part of your body. Here are some of the typical causes of wrong-site surgery:

Mistakes During Scheduling

Scheduling mistakes is a common cause of wrong-site surgery because the schedule should contain the details of the surgery. There are various forms of scheduling mistakes. For example, a scheduler may forget to double check the information or take a verbal report instead of making a written report, and this may lead to errors.

Mistakes When Marking Surgery Sites

One of the best ways to ensure correct surgery is to mark the correct surgical site. This is done during pre-operation preparations. The site marked by the pre-op team is the site on which the surgeon will operate. Therefore, if the pre-op team marks the wrong-site, then the surgical team will also work on the wrong site. An error in communication, for example, may result in the pre-op team marking the wrong part of the body.

Overwork

An overworked person, irrespective of their profession, is likely to make a mistake than a worker who isn't overworked. This is because the overworked person may be rushing to complete the task at hand so that they can move to the next one. It may also be the case if the overworked person is fatigued, and the fatigue is interfering with their judgment or concentration. For example, an overworked surgical team may find themselves steps, such as verification of documents, which may lead to surgical errors.

Confusion

There are different ways in which confusion can lead to wrong-site surgery. For example, two patients with similar names may bring confusion and end in one of them undergoing wrongs-site surgery. Confusion may also arise if surgical wristbands get interchanged, hospital beds get moved around or information on the medical chart isn't clear enough. 

Last Minute Changes

Lastly, last minute changes may also result in wrong-site surgery. For example, if a surgical team is changed at the last minute, the new team may not be as prepared as the previous one, and they may be more likely to make surgical mistakes. Another example is when a patient who was scheduled for surgery in a week's time gets their schedule changed so that they can undergo immediate surgery.

If you experienced wrong site surgery, consult a personal injury law firm to evaluate your case and help you determine the way forward.