16% of Surgical Patients Suffer Postoperative Complications

If you or a loved one are going in for surgery, there is a 16% chance that there will be a post-surgical complication, according to a new study conducted by the International Surgical Outcomes Study Group. While post-surgical complications do exist, not all of them are considered Connecticut medical malpractice.

Each year 310 million people globally undergo a surgery; 50 million have post-surgical complications; 1.5 million die from those complications. The most common type of post-surgical complication is infection which affects 9% of patients. The second most common is cardiovascular complications at 4.5%.

While these complications are common, not all are considered Connecticut medical malpractice. A physician, hospital or doctor must have deviated from the standard of care and the patient must have suffered a permanent significant injury, including death.

Below are some common types of post-surgical complications that could be considered medical malpractice:

• Operating on the wrong body part.
• Leaving surgical tools/towels inside the patient.
• Incorrect medications and/or dosing.
• Failure to monitor and treat infections.

If you or your loved one experienced any post-surgical complications that resulted in permanent injury, including death, find out if you have a medical malpractice case. Our experienced team will begin an immediate medical and legal investigation into your injury.