Recovering from surgery is often a long, challenging process. When a surgeon leaves an object inside a patient’s body, recovery might be prolonged and, in some cases, impossible until the object is removed.
Signs that your surgeon left a foreign object inside your body after surgery include incision site infections, headaches, dizziness, fatigue, and an overall decline in your health. Prolonged recovery from surgery might also indicate that there is a foreign object in your body. Should you recognize these signs after surgery, go to another surgeon to get the object removed. Costs associated with the removal of an object left inside your body following surgery, as well as any other medical costs or emotional damages incurred because of such negligence, are compensable in a medical malpractice claim. Be sure to file your lawsuit within your state’s statute of limitations for medical malpractice lawsuits so that you can hold a negligent surgeon or hospital accountable.
By calling The Reiff Law Firm at (215) 709-6940, you can set up a free review of your case with our Philadelphia medical malpractice lawyers.
Signs Your Surgeon Left an Object Inside Your Body
During surgery, a negligent doctor might leave behind a foreign object in a patient’s body. This can be very dangerous and is identifiable by certain signs or symptoms victims might experience after surgery.
Unintended retained foreign objects (URFOs) are items left within a patient’s body following surgery. Most commonly, URFOs are sponges, tubing, cloths, or clamps. Even small URFOs can cause serious medical issues for patients.
Signs that your surgeon left an object inside your body after surgery include pain in or near the incision area, blood clots, swelling, infection, coughing or vomiting blood, pain while urinating, difficulty breathing, nausea, fever, dizziness, and fatigue. Severe post-operative pain can also be an indication that a URFO was left in your body during surgery. Signs that a surgeon left an object in a patient’s body can vary from case to case. Sometimes, victims might be unware that they have a URFO for a long time before they start noticing these signs.
Usually, URFOs are small, which is why doctors might overlook them. Even tiny URFOs can cause serious complications for patients, especially when healing from an intensive surgery. When a URFO is left behind, surgery might not be as successful. If your surgery was meant to have certain effects, and you are not seeing those effects but instead are experiencing a decline in your health, a foreign object might have been left behind by the surgeon. Similarly, if you are not recovering from your surgery according to the surgeon’s expectations, there might be a unintended retained foreign object in your body.
Addressing Signs Your Surgeon Left an Object Inside Your Body
If you are experiencing serious complications following surgery and believe a surgeon left an object inside your body, it is important to remove that object immediately so that you do not develop further medical issues.
Upon noticing signs of a URFO, get it removed. If you feel uncomfortable going to the same surgeon who performed your initial surgery, go to another one. Seeing a different surgeon for URFO removal may benefit your future claim. In fact, it may be wise to go to a different hospital altogether.
Getting a URFO removed following surgery is crucial, not only for your financial recovery but also for your wellness. The longer URFOs remain in the body, the more they can impact a patient’s health. This is especially true for patients with other health concerns unrelated to their surgeries. For example, if you are immunocompromised or pregnant, the effects of a URFO might be exacerbated.
After getting a URFO removed, contact our Chester County medical malpractice lawyers to begin building your case. Our attorneys can review your medical records to confirm that negligence was at play. Doctors are responsible for ensuring that foreign objects do not remain in a patient’s body following surgery. Any medical issues you have experienced after surgery due to a URFO may be the fault of the doctor who performed your surgery.
Can You Sue if Your Surgeon Left an Object Inside Your Body?
If a surgeon left an object inside of your body that caused you additional damages, you will most likely be able to file a medical malpractice claim.
Medical malpractice lawsuits involving URFOs are sometimes easier to litigate. This is because leaving a foreign object in a patient’s body indicates that a surgeon did not uphold their duty of care and failed to practice the proper procedures to check and make sure they did not leave anything dangerous behind. Confirming that there is an unintended retained foreign object in your body and getting it removed will be important for your case.
In order to hold a hospital or surgeon accountable for the damages you incurred because of a URFO, you must file a lawsuit within the statute of limitations. This varies from state to state and may be shorter or longer than your state’s filing deadline for regular personal injury claims.
When a foreign object is left inside a patient’s body during surgery, that patient will undoubtedly face expensive medical bills. First, the cost of getting a URFO removed can be compensable in a medical malpractice lawsuit. Then, there is the cost of treatment for any complications caused by a URFO. A patient might require long-term medical care depending on when a URFO was identified. And, if the patient’s surgery was unsuccessful because of the URFO, they might require further surgery.
All of this can cause severe emotional distress for victims. Typically, such hardships are compensable with non-economic damages. Some states limit recovery of non-economic damages for medical malpractice victims. Other states, like Pennsylvania, do not.
Contact Our Attorneys About Your Medical Malpractice Claim
To discuss your case with The Reiff Law Firm, call our Allentown medical malpractice lawyers today at (215) 709-6940.
