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Report: hundreds of instruments left in patients since 2005

On Behalf of | Oct 29, 2013 | Medical Malpractice

When a patient schedules a surgical procedure, or is in an emergency situation that requires surgery, they often place their trust in the hands of medical professionals. These professionals often have years of training or are under supervision while attending to patients. However, even though doctors and nurses have a lot of training, they are still making severe surgical errors that can affect a patient’s wellbeing for years to come.

A recent report found that nearly 800 surgical instruments have been left inside of patients during surgery since the year 2005. These could be sponges, needles, or other items including small parts of tools.

When someone has a foreign object left inside their body, they would have no way of knowing. They think they are just in pain because of the surgery when they are sent home to recover. The patient might then experience unusual symptoms. Because patients might not know what to expect, they could wait a few days before they decide that their symptoms aren’t normal and they go back into the doctor. Their body will be trying to attack the foreign object, resulting in many unusual symptoms.

If someone has a surgical instrument left inside of them, they will likely require another surgery to fix the doctor’s error. This can result in a longer recovery time, additional lost wages while the patient recovers and even long-term effects if the mistake isn’t caught in a certain period of time. Speaking with a medical malpractice attorney might be a wise decision.

Source: CBS News, “Nearly 800 surgical tools left in patients since 2005: Report,” Ryan Jaslow, Oct. 18, 2013

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