With the amount of errors that occur in a hospital or other medical facility, surgery is usually an event that many people are nervous about. A number of Maryland residents may wonder how so many surgical errors could happen. A recent study has shown that many of the errors are attributed to equipment and technology problems.
The report notes that surgery that is mostly dependent on technology has an increased rate of errors. Computerized equipment problems were pointed out in approximately 15 percent of medical malpractice lawsuits, and about 2.4 mishaps took place during each operation. There are different types of issues that can cause errors, including settings on the equipment, which accounted for 43 percent.
In regard to how serious these mistakes were, many were extensive. The numbers indicated were based on the nature of the surgery and the study being conducted. According to the studies, 8 percent of errors were due to communication issues, while 13 percent were due to technical issues. The highest percentage of errors was due to equipment failure, which landed at 20 percent.
With more surgeries involving a wide range of technology and sophisticated equipment, there is an increased chance of errors. Maryland patients that have been victimized by errors from surgery may experience pain and suffering and financial loss due to personal injury, medical expenses and missed time from work. A patient that has suffered from injury due to surgical errors retains the legal right to pursue a medical malpractice lawsuit against the facility and any other parties deemed negligent.
