One surgeon in another state was recently put on probation after he reportedly took out the incorrect kidney in a patient. When a patient in Maryland or another part of the country becomes the victim of a surgeon error, he or she may elect to sue the responsible surgeon. This may not only result in monetary compensation that may help to deal with the situation but it may also help to hold the medical professional accountable.
In the recent out-of-state case, a urologist who had been practicing for more than four decades removed a healthy kidney from a patient, said to be 59. The doctor's error, according to a state medical board, placed the future kidney function of the patient in jeopardy. The patient had to go through a second operation to get rid of the remaining kidney, which was stricken with cancer.
As a result of the incident, the hospital where he was practicing received a $100,000 fine by the state's health department after it was discovered that the scans of the cancerous kidney were not taken into the operating room when the surgery took place. The surgeon will now have to undergo a three-year probation and take a class about wrong-site surgeries. Research shows that these types of surgeries take place every few years at large hospitals.
A surgeon error can unfortunately impact a person's quality of life in a negative way or even prove fatal in Maryland. Compensatory damages may be awarded in a related civil suit if proof exists that a doctor was not exercising reasonable care when performing a surgery. The monetary award might help the victim to cover medical bills and other costs, depending on the particular case.
