In the medical profession, wrong-site surgery is considered a “never event”—something that should never happen under any circumstances. However, it still occurs, typically due to human error. For instance, miscommunication between medical professionals can result in wrong-site surgery.
These errors can happen in various ways. All may constitute medical malpractice, so it’s essential to understand how they occur.
How wrong-site surgery may happen
If you believe you have suffered harm in a hospital or that a medical professional has made a critical error, consider these four types of wrong-site surgery:
- The wrong patient: In 5% of cases, doctors operate on the wrong person. This could happen if medical records are mixed up or if two patients have similar names.
- The wrong procedure: In 14% of cases, the error involves performing the wrong type of surgery. For example, someone might go to the hospital for wrist surgery and end up receiving elbow surgery instead.
- The wrong site: In 23% of cases, doctors operate on the wrong part of the patient’s body. A common example is spinal cord surgery. A patient needing surgery near the neck may mistakenly receive surgery on the lower back, causing harm and failing to address their medical issue.
- The wrong side: Finally, 59% of cases involve medical professionals operating on the wrong side of the body. For instance, a patient scheduled to have fingers on their left hand amputated due to frostbite might instead lose fingers on their right hand. While it may be the correct patient and the right procedure, this is still clearly a devastating mistake.
Wrong-site surgeries can have life-altering consequences. If you or a loved one has been affected, it’s critical to understand your legal rights and the steps you can take to seek justice and compensation.
