The most common surgical mistakes are known as wrong-side/wrong-site, wrong-procedure and wrong-patient adverse events (WSPEs). One study indicates that as many as 1,300 to 2,700 WSPEs occur annually in the United States. WSPEs can have devastating effects on patients, leaving them in pain, scarred, disfigured and/or impaired. In some cases WPSEs have even caused death.
Factors that contribute to the occurrence of WPSEs include:
- Surgeon fatigue and haste
- Confusing patients with similar names or similar surgeries
- Similar site of surgery
- Procedural changes
- Breakdown in communication and teamwork
- Failure of existing safety checks
- Surgical technique
- Judgment errors
- Inattention to detail
At Hance & Srinivasan, P.L.L.C., we want you to be informed about the risks of surgical errors. We encourage you to visit our resources page for more information. If you or someone you love has suffered pain, long-term health complications or death from a surgical error, please contact Hance & Srinivasan to discuss the individual nature of your situation.
