Pittsburgh Medical Malpractice Lawyer Blog

Michelle was a 21-year-old special education teacher. She loved running and was a cheerleader. When she went to the hospital complaining of abdominal pain, her doctor told her she needed surgery and scheduled the procedure for the next day.

However, when the doctor re-examined Michelle the next morning, he decided to cancel the surgery. He said that based on new information, surgery was no longer necessary. The surgeon already had out-of-town plans for the weekend, so he left and did not procure any surgical coverage.

Unfortunately, the surgeon was wrong. Michelle needed surgery, and because of the surgeon's failure to diagnose the problem, she needed to have most of her small intestine removed.

Seven-year-old Adam was a normal boy who loved playing soccer and being active. Now, Adam is learning Braille and relearning how to walk, talk and eat. Moreover, according to the lawsuit Adam's parents filed, none of that would have happened if Adam's doctor hadn't failed to diagnose meningitis.

Meningitis is the inflammation of the membranes that line the spinal cord and brain. If it is not treated promptly, it can cause severe disabilities because of the swelling and hemorrhaging of the brain and spinal cord tissue. Sadly, numerous people throughout Pennsylvania suffer because doctors fail to promptly diagnose the disease.

Earlier this month, we wrote a post about the research surrounding bone morphogenetic protein-2. The back surgery product was touted as revolutionary with an expected 100 percent success rate and minimal complications. Instead, BMP-2 became infamous for its corporate-funded research and financially conflicted doctors. Because of the incomplete research, some surgeons recommended unnecessarily dangerous surgeries.

There were two main issues at the heart of the controversy. First, many people did not know that the doctors who were researching and publishing information about BMP-2 were receiving money from Medtronic, the company marketing BMP-2. In addition, the doctors' research did not coherently explain the financial incentives they were receiving, so people using the research had no way of knowing the doctors had a financial conflict of interest.

In our last post, we reported a disturbing statistic. Studies suggest that there is an average of up to seven wrong-side surgeries performed every day throughout the country. Sadly, the concept of medical malpractice and surgical errors is something we're all familiar with. But wrong-side surgeries are one of the most egregious surgical errors that exist, and their prevalence is alarming.

Surgical errors caused by preventable, careless mistakes are not something patients in Pittsburgh should need to worry about with all the other stress associated with surgery. Thankfully, the following tips can help you protect yourself from wrong-side surgery.

Most people who have had surgery can relate to feeling nervous before the procedure. A slew of medical professionals rush in and out of your room asking your name and checking your wristband. You may feel cold, uncomfortable and vulnerable sitting in a hospital gown. And when you're finally taken to the operating room, you may feel overwhelmed by the doctors, nurses, anesthesiologists and surgeons surrounding you.

With so many professionals hovering, asking questions, verifying and re-verifying information, it may be hard to believe that surgical errors still happen. Not only is surgical malpractice a threat in Pennsylvania, but studies suggest that an average of up to seven wrong-side surgeries -- one of the most obviously egregious surgical errors -- are performed every day throughout the country.

Our last few posts have been about the risks of surgery and the medical negligence that leads to them. Surgical errors are more common than they should be, and a recent article in The Wall Street Journal discussed what it's like to be in the operating room during surgery.

The excerpt was adapted from the surgeon's book, "Confessions of a Surgeon." In his piece, the surgeon makes light of the complications associated with risky surgeries, compares surgery patients to poker hands and talks about throwing surgical equipment across the operating room.

Before bone morphogenetic protein-2 was introduced to the market in 2002, health care professionals in Pittsburgh and throughout the country were mesmerized by the product. Studies suggested the back surgery product would revolutionize medicine.

BMP-2 did just that, but the feat was accomplished differently than most people expected. Rather than creating a 100 percent success rate in fusing spines without complications, the product was associated with skepticism and scandal. Many professionals questioned whether corporate-funded research that was carried out by financially conflicted doctors could be trusted.

Did health care professionals knowingly introduce defective medical products to the market, or were the doctors involved in the testing too invested to see the potential pitfalls of the promising new product? Either way, their research led surgeons to recommend unnecessary surgery risks.

When you're looking for a surgeon, you want someone who has focused experience handling your specialized needs. You wouldn't ask your family practice doctor to perform open heart surgery, and you wouldn't ask a geriatrics doctor to give you a face lift. But why not? After all, they're all doctors.

Everyone knows that medicine is more complicated than that. Surgeons need specialized training to ensure their lack of knowledge does not lead to surgical errors.