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Surgical errors: Not always reversible

On Behalf of | Aug 24, 2018 | Surgical Errors |

The fact about surgical errors is that they’re not always reversible. While some patients end up back in surgery to reverse damage that was done, others have no option but to live with the mistakes that were made.

Take, for example, a situation where a sponge is left inside a patient. Normally, that’s reversible. The patient may need to go through another surgery, but the item can be removed. An irreversible surgical error may include a mistake like operating on the wrong body part, removing the wrong organ or otherwise making mistakes that cannot be fixed through additional medical care.

What can you do to avoid an irreversible surgical error?

To start with, you should make sure you always verify your information with your medical provider. For instance, if they constantly seem to misspell your name or call you the wrong name, it’s necessary to correct them each and every time. Why? You don’t want your medical records to end up incorrect or impossible to find.

Another thing you can do is to actually look at the wristband they put on you. They often say to look it over and check for mistakes, and this is for good reason. If you have the wrong patient’s name or information on your arm, then you won’t be treated as yourself but as a different patient.

These are a couple things you can do to avoid an irreversible surgical error. Take the time to verify your information with every doctor or nurse you meet, and you’ll be safer than if you stayed quiet before your operation.