Surgical mistakes aren’t just stories from TV dramas. They happen in real life, and they can change someone’s world in an instant. If a doctor operates on the wrong body part, leaves a surgical tool behind, or injures a nerve during a procedure, those aren’t just accidents. They’re errors that can have serious consequences, and yes, you can sue a doctor for those errors.
Take Chicago, for example. It is a beautiful city in Illinois. It is a home to some of the top medical centers in the country, but it’s also a city where people turn to the courts when something goes wrong. If you or someone you love has been hurt by a mistake in surgery, talking to a lawyer for surgical errors in Chicago can help you figure out your options.
In this article, we’ll walk through the different types of surgical errors that might lead to a lawsuit. We’ll look at common examples, explain why they matter, and share what you can do if it happens to you.
Surgical Errors That Can Lead to a Lawsuit
Surgery carries risks. You know that when you sign the consent forms. But some risks aren’t part of the job. They’re mistakes. If a doctor or surgical team makes an avoidable error, you can hold them responsible. Here are the main types of surgical errors that often lead to lawsuits.
Wrong-Site Surgery
One of the clearest examples is operating on the wrong body part. It sounds impossible, but it happens. A surgeon might mix up the left and right sides or even confuse two patients with similar names.
Why it matters:
- Permanent injury to a healthy body part
- Delay in fixing the real medical issue
- More surgeries to correct the mistake
These cases almost always point to negligence. Simple steps like marking the surgical site and reviewing charts could prevent them.
Retained Surgical Objects
Imagine waking up after surgery and still having a sponge, clamp, or even scissors left inside your body. It’s more common than you think. These “never events” can cause infection, pain, and even organ damage.
What you might face:
- Long recovery time
- Risk of additional surgery
- Emotional trauma, knowing the mistake was preventable
Hospitals use sponge counts and surgical checklists to avoid this. If the team skips those safeguards, the error can become grounds for a claim.
Anesthesia Errors
Anesthesia requires precision. Too much, too little, or the wrong type can be dangerous.
Common examples include:
- Giving a patient the wrong dosage
- Failing to check for allergies
- Not monitoring breathing or heart rate during surgery
Mistakes here can cause brain injury, coma, or even death. Anesthesia claims often focus on whether the anesthesiologist followed accepted safety rules.
Infections from Poor Sterilization
Hospitals should be the cleanest places you enter. When tools aren’t sterilized or staff cut corners, infections spread fast, and some become life-threatening.
Signs that infection may be linked to negligence:
- Contaminated instruments
- Unclean operating room
- Failure to give proper antibiotics
You can’t sue over every infection, but when it traces back to poor hygiene, you may have legal grounds.
Failure to Get Consent
You have the right to know the risks before agreeing to surgery. If a doctor fails to explain the procedure or performs something you didn’t approve, it can qualify as malpractice.
Situations include:
- Operating without your signed consent
- Not warning about major risks, you should have known
- Performing a different procedure without emergency justification
Consent errors often leave patients feeling violated as well as injured.
When Surgical Errors Lead to Lawsuits
Not every complication equals malpractice. A lawsuit usually depends on two key points:
- Was the care below the standard? Did the surgeon act in a way another competent doctor wouldn’t?
- Did it cause harm? Mistakes that lead to pain, disability, or added medical bills are more likely to qualify.
Final Thoughts
Surgical errors range from leaving a sponge behind to cutting into the wrong body part. Each case depends on proof of negligence and the damage caused. If you suspect a mistake, medical records and expert opinions can help uncover what went wrong. Knowing the types of errors that lead to lawsuits can give you a clearer picture of your rights.
Key Takeaways:
- Wrong-site surgery—operating on the wrong body part or even patient.
- Retained objects—leaving tools or sponges inside the patient’s body.
- Anesthesia errors—administering the wrong dose of a medication, administering the wrong drug, or failing to monitor the patient after administering an anesthetic.
- Infections—infections stemming from sterilization mistakes or unsafe practices.
- Consent—performing surgery without obtaining the proper explanation or authorization.
