Articles Posted in Surgical Errors

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If you have suffered an injury or lost a loved one due to what you believe may have been medical negligence pertaining to laser lead extraction, you should immediately reach out to a trusted Baltimore medical malpractice attorney. At Arfaa Law Group, we are committed to holding careless physicians responsible for the pain and heartache they inflict on patients. We know this is a difficult time for you and your family and that is precisely why we will navigate your claim with the utmost compassion.

Recent Laser Lead Extraction Lawsuit

After a two-week trial, an Illinois jury handed down a unanimous verdict recently finding a hospital guilty of medial malpractice. The lawsuit was filed after a 64-year-old man went through a laser extraction program to remove a pacemaker and later died in a hospital Cath Lab where the heart and blood vessels were perforated by the laser. The complaint alleged that the patient was the victim of a poorly prepared staff that not only perforated his heart but also was unable to respond to the injury in a timely manner. The family will now receive over $2 million as compensation for their loss.

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If you or someone close to you has suffered a facial injury because of a surgeon’s negligence, you need a skilled Baltimore medical malpractice attorney on your side. At Arfaa Law Group, we have handled countless Maryland medical malpractice claims and can apply our experience and skill to your case. We understand that every case is unique, which is why we proudly provide unique and personalized representation to each and every client.

The Study

A new study published in the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery found that outcomes in facial trauma lawsuits typically favor doctors, with almost 75 percent of cases being dismissed prior to trial. The study is the first of its kind focusing on facial trauma litigation. The findings reveal that around 15 percent of plastic surgeons face a medical malpractice lawsuit every year. The researchers examined 69 incidents from 1913 to 2016. Approximately three quarters of the plaintiffs with jaw injuries or numerous facial fractures were men. If you look at all the cases that went to trial, 58 percent were tried by a judge while 38 percent were tried by a jury. Almost 75 percent of cases were ultimately decided in favor of the doctors, 19 percent on behalf of the patient, 3 percent reached a settlement and 3 percent had an unknown conclusion. In addition, the study found that outcomes of facial trauma claims varied depending on the region of the country. 

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Unfortunately, surgery errors injure countless patients in Maryland and across the country every year. When surgical mistakes injure a patient, the patient and his or her family are left guessing how such a mistake occurred and what legal options are available to them. If you have suffered harm and you believe it was because of a surgeon’s negligence, our experienced Baltimore medical malpractice attorneys can help. At Arfaa Law Group, we are devoted to holding negligent medical professionals accountable.

An elderly woman who had both her healthy kidneys removed in what she alleged to be an erroneous surgery recently died, nine months following the procedure. She suffered a cardiac arrest and remained unconscious before she was declared dead. After her kidneys were removed, the woman was going through several hours of dialysis three days a week and was waiting to get on the national transplant waiting list. Physicians then allegedly confirmed she never had kidney cancer at all. The hospital reportedly never indicated what led to the misdiagnosis. At that point, the woman filed a medical negligence claim against the hospital, claiming that she would not have agreed to have her kidneys removed if the doctors at the hospital had not strongly advised her to do so. The hospital may now be sued for wrongful death as well.

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Undergoing surgery can be a scary experience. Patients expect to receive competent care from their surgeons and assisting nurses but, sadly, this does not always happen. If you have suffered an injury because of what you believe to be a surgeon’s error or negligence, it is important to understand your rights. At Arfaa Law Group, our Baltimore surgery malpractice attorneys will examine the circumstances surrounding your injury and advise you accordingly. You can take comfort in knowing that we will handle your case diligently and compassionately.

The Study

Medical mistakes cause between 250,000- 440,000 deaths every year in the U.S., with a number of those mistakes taking place in the operating room. A recently published study conducted by Columbia University highlights that in moments of high stress in the operating room (OR), surgeons make up to 66 percent more errors on patients. Utilizing technology that measured the electrical activity of a surgeon’s heart, researchers discovered that during periods of short-term stress such as those caused by a bad thought or loud noise in the OR, surgeons are more likely make errors that can lead to bleeding, torn tissue or burns. The results could help develop future protocol designed to reduce acute short-term stress on surgeons while they are performing procedures.

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Unfortunately, medical mistakes are routinely the cause of injury to patients in Maryland. If you or a family member has suffered undue harm because of medical negligence, our highly skilled Baltimore medical malpractice attorneys can help. At Arfaa Law Group, we will investigate your case and come up with a legal strategy accordingly.

The Case

In Armacost v. Davis, the plaintiff went to see a neurosurgeon after years of neck and shoulder pain, as well as numbness in his right hand. After discussing various options, the plaintiff agreed to undergo four-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion surgery. After the surgery, the plaintiff initially recovered well but then had to go to the emergency room a number of times due to a pinpoint opening at the end of his incision and, later, due to chest pain and periodic numbness in his left arm. Later, the pinpoint opening became an abscess and tested positive for a bacterial infection.

The plaintiff filed a medical malpractice claim against the neurosurgeon, claiming the procedure he underwent was not medically required and was inappropriate for someone of his age with his medical history. In addition, the plaintiff claimed that the defendant and the hospital took too long to diagnose and treat the post-operative infection. The defendant, on the other hand, argued that the diagnosis and treatment provided adhered to the appropriate standard of care.

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Whenever anyone undergoes surgery, there are risks. In these nerve-wracking situations, we trust our physicians to provide competent care. If you or your loved one has been injured due to a surgeon’s error, you need to contact a reputable Baltimore surgery malpractice attorney. At Arfaa Law Group, we will meticulously examine the merits of your claim and create a personalized legal strategy accordingly. Our team is committed to fighting for the rights of each and every client, and you should note that we proudly serve clients throughout Maryland.

Recently, a woman claimed that she needed additional surgery due to the negligence of a Chicago doctor who performed reconstructive surgery on her after a mastectomy. The woman filed a lawsuit against her doctor as well as against the hospital where the procedure took place. According to the complaint, the plaintiff alleges that she was diagnosed with breast cancer and went through a mastectomy. A few months later, she went through reconstructive surgery, after which an implant rotated necessitating further surgery. While this case took place in Illinois, sadly, these types of injuries are all too common in Maryland as well. 

Surgery Malpractice in Maryland

All surgeons owe their patients a certain level of care. When this level of care is not adhered to, the consequences can be devastating, long lasting and even permanent for a patient and his or her family. In order to prevail in a medical malpractice case, you must establish that the standard of care was not followed and that the deviation from the standard of care was a direct cause of patient harm. The standard of care refers to the level of care and caution that a reasonably competent medical professional in the same specialty would have used under the same or similar circumstances.

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Imagine going in for back surgery but leaving the hospital without a kidney. Unfortunately, this is what happened to one woman and, sadly, represents the life-changing magnitude of medical errors that patients sometimes have to deal with. If you have been hurt due to a surgeon’s negligence, our experienced Baltimore medical malpractice attorneys can help you hold the at-fault medical professional accountable. With years of experience, we will help protect your rights and aim to get you the compensation you deserve.

A surgeon from Florida took out a woman’s healthy kidney when she was undergoing back surgery in 2016 because he mistakenly believed that the kidney was a cancerous tumor. The woman had been suffered back pain following a car accident and was slated to go through anterior lumbar interbody fusion surgery, in which troublesome vertebrae in a person’s spine are fused together into a single larger bone. During the procedure, the physician noticed a pelvic mass and made a presumptive diagnosis of cancer and decided to remove the mass entirely. It turned out the mass was not a cancerous tumor at all, but the woman’s kidney. The woman filed a lawsuit against the surgeon, which was recently settled. The terms of the settlement agreement were not disclosed.

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Orthopedic malpractice often takes place during surgery but it can also happen before or after the procedure. If you have suffered an injury and you believe it was caused by an orthopedic surgeon’s negligence, our experienced Baltimore medical malpractice attorneys can help. At Arfaa Law Group, we are dedicated to helping you obtain compensation for the hardships you and your family may have suffered.

Sharrif Floyd, a former football player for the Minnesota Vikings, filed a $180 million malpractice claim against his former orthopedic surgeon, the orthopedic surgery center and others involved in his treatment. According to the complaint, Floyd went in for what he was told would be a routine operation that would be require three to four weeks of recovery. However, once the surgeon began to operate, he determined that Floyd needed microfracture surgery that required them to drill into the bone, which purportedly led to bleeding and necessitated a post-operation pain blocker. The pain-block allegedly impacted the procedure and paralyzed a nerve and the surrounding muscle in the right leg. Ultimately, the surgery ended Floyd’s football career.

Orthopedic Malpractice

Orthopedic surgeons diagnose, treat and rehabilitate patients who are experiencing disease or injury of the musculoskeletal system. This complex system, which includes your bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, muscles and nerves, permits a person to move, work and be active. When an orthopedic surgeon’s make a mistake, they can exacerbate existing medical conditions and even create new problems for patients. If this has happened to you or someone close to you, you may be able to sue for medical malpractice.

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If you or someone close to you has been injured by a gastroenterologist’s error, you could be eligible to recover compensation. Our Baltimore medical negligence advocates will gather all of the information needed to properly evaluate your case and advise you accordingly. With years of experience, we know how to proceed in even the most complicated medical malpractice cases.

A Tennessee gastroenterologist has been accused of medical malpractice in a wrongful death suit. According to the lawsuit, the doctor failed to treat his patient properly, which allegedly resulted in her death from cancer this past May. The facility where the doctor practices is also named in the lawsuit. Apparently, the doctor failed to fully remove a polyp from the patient’s colon in 2013 and then again in 2016. This past February, the patient discovered an ulcerated mass in the same area, which was revealed to be cancer. In March, another doctor told the patient that the cancer had spread to the liver and seven out of the 12 lymph nodes and that her life expectancy was very short. She died two months later.

Gastroenterology Malpractice

Gastroenterologists specialize in prevention, diagnosis and treatment of illnesses and disorders of the digestive tract. The following types of gastroenterologist errors may give rise to a malpractice case: diagnostic errors, improper performance of a procedure, failure to monitor a patient properly after the procedure, medication errors or communication errors.

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If you or someone close to you has suffered an injury due to a surgical error, our Baltimore surgery malpractice lawyers will provide effective and experienced legal representation to you every step of the way. We strive to hold negligent medical providers accountable for their errors and misconduct. We know that dealing with a medical injury can be daunting and it can be hard to know what to do next. We strongly believe that the best thing to do is to get advice from a lawyer who can help you figure out how to proceed.

D.K., a woman from Iowa, is suing her physician after he supposedly took out her kidney when he was supposed to remove her adrenal gland during a surgical procedure in 2016. The adrenal glands are endocrine glands that produce a variety of hormones including adrenaline and cortisol. They are found above the kidneys. D.K.’s lawsuit claims that the doctor mistakenly took out her functioning right kidney as opposed to the adrenal gland and a mass that had formed on top of it. She says she was not told until seven days after the surgery that the surgeon “did not get everything” and would have to undergo a second procedure. The second procedure was later conducted. D.K. now says she is suffering numerous adverse health consequences as a result.

Liability for Surgical Errors

While the aforementioned case is not a Maryland case, it is still relevant to people in every state, as botched surgeries routinely injure and kill patients across the country. Surgical mistakes can lead to debilitating conditions and, in the most serious cases, death. If you believe your harm was the result of the result of a surgeon’s error or misconduct, you may be able to recover compensation through a medical malpractice claim. Medical malpractice, in the context of surgery errors, occurs when a surgeon’s conduct falls below the accepted standards of care as compared to a reasonably competent surgeon performing the same surgery thereby causing injury or death to the patient.

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