Kansas City Surgical Error Lawyers

Holding Surgeons Responsible for Their Mistakes

If you or a loved one suffered a serious injury or died as a result of a surgical error, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. At Shamberg, Johnson & Bergman, CHTD, our legal team serves individuals throughout the Kansas City area and beyond. We have successfully advocated for patients who have suffered harm due to medical malpractice, including surgical errors, and we are ready to help you, too.

To learn more about your legal options, call our office at (816) 542-5999 or submit an online request form.

What is a Surgical Error?

Surgical errors refer to mistakes or negligence that occur during surgical procedures, leading to harm or injury to the patient. These errors are a subset of medical malpractice, which involves professional negligence by healthcare providers.

Here are some common examples of surgical errors:

• Wrong-site surgery: This occurs when surgery is performed on the wrong part of the body or the wrong patient. It can happen due to miscommunication, inadequate preoperative verification, or failure to mark the correct surgical site.
• Surgical instrument or foreign object left behind: Surgeons and their teams must ensure that all instruments and foreign objects, such as sponges or gauze, are removed from the surgical site before closing the incision. Leaving objects behind can lead to infection, pain, and other complications.
• Anesthesia errors: Anesthesia plays a crucial role in surgeries, and mistakes related to its administration can have serious consequences. Errors may include administering too much or too little anesthesia, failing to monitor the patient's vital signs properly, or using the wrong type of anesthesia.
• Nerve damage: Surgeons must exercise great care to avoid injuring nerves during surgery. However, in some cases, nerve damage can occur due to surgical instruments being mishandled or due to incorrect positioning of the patient.
• Organ or tissue damage: Accidental damage to organs, blood vessels, or other tissues during surgery can happen. Surgeons are trained to take precautions to avoid such injuries, but errors can occur, leading to complications or the need for additional procedures.
• Infections: Surgical site infections can result from inadequate sterilization, improper wound closure, or poor post-operative care. Infections can cause significant harm, delay healing, and may require further medical intervention.
• Post-operative complications: Surgeons have a duty to monitor and manage patients' post-operative recovery. Failure to detect and address complications in a timely manner, such as bleeding, infection, or blood clots, can lead to serious harm.

How to Prove Medical Malpractice for a Surgical Error

Proving surgical errors in medical malpractice cases typically involve demonstrating that the healthcare provider failed to adhere to the accepted standard of care, which is the level of care that a competent professional in the same field would provide under similar circumstances. Additionally, it is necessary to establish a causal relationship between the error and the resulting harm to the patient.

Let Our Firm Help You Today

Our legal team is ready to hold the healthcare provider(s) responsible for their negligent and careless actions. Do not hesitate to let us evaluate your case, conduct an investigation, work with expert witnesses, and help you recover your entitled compensation. 

Contact us today at (816) 542-5999 to schedule a free consultation.