Anesthesia Errors

Memphis Medical Malpractice Lawyers Advocating for Those Injured from Anesthesia Errors

Fighting for the rights of the injured throughout Tennessee

There are risks any time you go under the knife for a surgical procedure.  While countless surgeries proceed without incident, sometimes complications arise because of anesthesia errors. Anesthesia drugs have made modern surgery possible, but if not administered properly, and if the patient is not monitored carefully, there is plenty of room for catastrophic mistakes that can cause serious injuries or death.

At Bailey & Greer, PLLC, we are here to protect the rights of those who have been injured, or who have lost loved ones because of anesthesia errors before, during, or after surgery. Schedule a consultation with one of our compassionate Memphis medical malpractice attorneys to discuss your case and receive legal guidance on how to recover compensation for your losses.

What are the common types of anesthesia used in surgery?

While your surgeon is responsible for conducting the operation or the surgical procedure, the anesthesiologist will administer the anesthesia, they will monitor your vitals during surgery and when you are waking up after surgery. There are a few different forms of anesthesia including the following:

  • Local anesthesia is an analgesic given as an injection to stop the pain in a specific area of the body for minor procedures. You will remain conscious.
  • Regional anesthesia numbs the part of the body that will undergo the surgery while you remain conscious. The different types of regional anesthesia include spinal or epidural anesthetic.
  • General anesthesia induces unconsciousness during the surgical procedure. The patient may inhale the anesthetic through a breathing mask or tube or through an intravenous line. A breathing tube may also be inserted to maintain breathing and keep the airway clear during surgery. After surgery, the anesthesiologist stops the anesthetic and monitors your recovery.

(Hopkins Medicine)

What can go wrong? Examples of anesthesia errors.

There can be complications with anesthesia, many of which are preventable. Here are some examples of preventable anesthesia errors:

  • Overdose of anesthesia medication
  • Failure to adequately monitor the patient
  • Improper insertion of the breathing tube
  • Adverse drug interactions
  • Failure to administer adequate oxygen during surgery
  • Administering the wrong anesthesia drug
  • Defective or malfunctioning medical device used in administering the anesthesia drugs

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What happens if the patient awakens during a surgical procedure?

If not enough anesthesia is given, or the wrong type of medicine is given, the patient can wake up during surgery and feel everything that is being done. This can be a frightening and painful experience as the patient will be unable to move and be unable to communicate with the surgical team. General anesthesia awareness with recall (GAAWR) is well documented, but the incidence rate is low. When GAAWR does occur, it is often because of an error in the administration of inhaled anesthetics. (March 2018 issue of the journal, Medicine)

What injuries or complications can occur from anesthesia mistakes?

There are several types of injuries that can occur because of anesthesia errors. The type and severity of the injury will vary depending on the type of error that occurred. The following are some examples of injuries that can occur from anesthesia errors:

  • Injury to the trachea from the breathing tube
  • Cardiovascular injury, heart problems
  • Brain damage or traumatic brain injury
  • Spinal cord injury
  • Blood pressure problems
  • Seizures
  • Coma
  • Death

How can a medical malpractice lawyer help my anesthesia error case?

If you have lost a loved one who died or if you have sustained serious injuries because of an anesthesia error, you may be able to take legal action against the responsible party. When a medical professional makes a preventable medical error which results in patient harm, they have breached their duty of care to their patient. If the injured patient can prove that the medical professional’s actions or failure to act breached the accepted standard of care, they may be able to recover compensation for their losses.

A skilled Memphis medical malpractice attorney from Bailey & Greer brings a wealth of experience helping countless clients to recover compensation for the wrongful death of a loved one because of a medical mistake or for an injury. Medical malpractice cases are complex. They require the services of a medical expert witness who investigates the claim, testifies about the facts of the incident, and testifies as to how a reasonable medical professional would have acted given the same circumstances.

Bailey & Greer Team

Schedule a consultation with a competent medical malpractice attorney

The West Tennessee lawyers at Bailey & Greer, PLLC, are strong advocates for our clients who have sustained injuries because of medical negligence. You are invited to call our Memphis medical malpractice attorneys today to request a free initial consultation to discuss your case. You can reach us at 901-680-9777 or you can complete our contact form to schedule a free consultation