Q: “Do you believe wrong site surgery should never happen?”

A: I think we do everything we can do to minimize risk of things like that, but I don’t believe the world is perfect, no.

Q: But would you argree that, we both know it happens..wrong people get operated on, wrong organs get removed, but my question to you is different. Don’t you agree is should never happen?

A: I answered the question

Q: Then your answer is that it should happen?

A: maybe the court reporter can read back the answer. [court reporter read back answer, above]

The article published in the Archives of Surgery analyzed numerous databases that showed that these cases occur across all specialties, with high numbers in orthopedic and dental surgery.  The analysis of wrong side/wrong site, wrong procedure and wrong patient cases suggested that a common factor was recurrent systemic failures.  Researchers concluded, based on their findings, that about 1300 to 2700 of these cases occur every year in the United States.

Reporting wrong site and other similar cases is virtually nonexistent, making reports in the press more common than reports in medical literature.  The article attributes this fact to “shame.” The conclusion made by the researchers states that these cases “are more common than health care providers and patients appreciate.”

The article suggests that these cases are preventable, which seems pretty obvious.  Some of the recommendations to prevent wrong side/wrong site, wrong procedure and wrong patient cases include using new and innovative technologies, reporting the cases and learning safety initiatives.

To learn more about medical malpractice, order Ben Glass’s book, Most Medical Malpractice Victims Never Recover a Dime.