Now– more than ever—same day surgeries have increased at an alarming rate.

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, a staggering 48 million surgical inpatient procedures were performed in 2009 alone. This number has increased to 65.9 million surgeries in 2016. Given the increase in surgical procedures over the last few years, it’s important to consider the quality and standards of medical care received in ambulatory surgical centers.

While patients are not typically given the right to choose the medical professionals that conduct surgery in ambulatory cases, it’s important to understand that patients have rights in such situations. It’s imperative for patients to have confidence in the physicians who will be performing the surgeries.

Being rushed to a hospital or surgery often presents its own conflicts and trauma — this can be confounded when an inexperienced surgeon performs your surgery.

Things to Understand About Routine Surgeries

• You should have the primary physician’s credentials on-hand or they should be easily obtainable
• Your insurance company should have the requisite information about your surgeon on file
• You should understand the physician’s explanation regarding procedure. If you don’t understand, it’s important to ask as many questions as you need to, in order to understand

As there are a number of procedures which are common, other (more) complex surgical procedures should be performed by a physician with the necessary experience. Some of the most common surgical procedures are listed below.

Ambulatory Surgical Procedures

The most common procedures included nervous system surgeries, digestive system surgeries, and cardiovascular system surgeries. Other procedures include appendectomies, coronary artery bypass surgery, hysterectomies and colectomies (to treat cancer of the colon or to remove part of the colon).

While these procedures are routine, there are times when physicians make mistakes. These mistakes can lead to claims of negligence and medical malpractice. Sometimes these mistakes are not easily identifiable from the onset of the surgery.

Routine Mistakes Made by Physicians:

• Injuring a nerve or nerves during the surgery
• Forgetting medical tools inside the patient
• Operating on the wrong organ or body part
• Administering too much or too little anesthesia

These mistakes made by physicians vary depending on the type of procedure. Neglect, poor focus, tiredness, and incompetence are only some of the factors that lead to mistakes occurring during routine surgical procedures.

While all surgeries contain an element of risk, some mistakes are worse than others. Get the facts you need to decide whether to pursue a medical claim of your client. If you require a medical opinion related to these types of surgical errors, one of our Med League ambulatory surgical experts may be able to help you.

Med League provides medical expert witnesses to trial lawyers. Please call us at (908)788-8227 or contact us today to discuss your next case.