Surgery can be stressful enough without worrying about what might go wrong. While most procedures go smoothly, surgical errors do happen. Understanding these mistakes can help you have more informed conversations with your healthcare team and know what questions to ask before any operation.
Wrong-site and wrong-patient surgeries
It sounds almost unbelievable, but surgeons sometimes operate on the wrong body part or even the wrong patient. These “never events” occur more often than you might think. A surgeon might operate on the left knee instead of the right one or remove the wrong organ entirely.
You can help prevent this by speaking up before your procedure. Confirm with your surgical team exactly what operation you are having and where. You may want to use a marker to indicate the correct surgical site yourself. It might also be beneficial to ask questions until you feel completely confident that everyone understands the plan.
Instruments and materials left inside patients
Surgical sponges, clamps and other instruments are sometimes left inside patients after procedures are completed. This happens when surgical teams do not properly count their tools before closing an incision. These retained objects can cause serious infections, pain and additional surgeries to remove them.
Modern operating rooms use systematic counting protocols to prevent this. If you experience unusual pain, swelling or fever after surgery, you might want to discuss the possibility of a retained object with your doctor.
Anesthesia complications and nerve damage
Problems with anesthesia can include giving incorrect dosages or inadequate observation of vital signs during your operation. Such errors may result in neurological injury, cardiac complications or fatality in extreme situations.
Nerve damage is another common surgical error that may occur when surgeons accidentally cut or compress nerves during procedures. This can result in numbness, weakness or chronic pain that lasts long after your incision heals.
Before any surgery, consider asking about your anesthesiologist’s experience and what monitoring they will use during your procedure. Understanding the risks specific to your operation can help you make better decisions about your care.
Remember that being an informed patient can be one of your strongest defenses against surgical errors.
