Virginia Malpractice News » wrong site surgery

“Universal Protocol” – Use it and prevent Wrong Site Surgeries

Ben Glass — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 15:52:21 +0000

5th Wrong Site Surgery at Same Hospital in 2 Years

Ben Glass — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 15:50:24 +0000

Wrong site surgery is a “never should happen” event. One hospital managed to do it 5 times in the last two years. Here’s a video report.

How Doctors Can Easily Prevent Wrong Site Surgery

Ben Glass — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 15:49:08 +0000

Here’s a cool video that every surgeon and hospital “team” should review before surgery. Wrong sided surgery is a “should never happen” event. (click on the headline above)

Fredericksburg Surgeon Sued for Failing to Mark Operative Site

Ben Glass — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 22:52:04 +0000

Click here to view the embedded video.

A lawsuit filed in the Circuit Court for the City of Fredericksburg alleges that an orthopedic surgeon who was to operate to remove a cyst on the back of a woman’s shoulder, forgot where the cyst was located and operated on the front of the shoulder, allegedly causing unnecessary scarring and disfigurement.

The lawsuit alleges that the surgeon failed to take appropriate steps to mark the surgical site and then failed to awaken the patient and stop the surgery once he realized that he couldn’t remember where he was supposed to operate.

Remarkably, the surgeon’s medical malpractice insurance company took the position that the surgeon did no wrong and denied the patient’s attempt to settle the case.

More information about the Fredericksburg surgeon who has been sued is here.

Doctor Forgets to do One Part of Operation

Ben Glass — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 11:36:50 +0000

As amazing as it sounds, doctors sometimes forget to do a part of an operation. You can imagine how this happens, especially if they’ve got surgeries backed up, one after another, at the local hospital.

Is that malpractice? Can you recover damages. Here is an interesting case decided by the Supreme Court of Virginia that allowed a cases against a doctor to proceed when the doctor had forgotten to do a part of a surgery and the claimant had to have another surgery.

This is slightly different from wrong-sided surgery, which also happens.