Surgical Specialties Resulting in Claims
Of the surgery-related medical malpractice claims that were analyzed for this study, over 47% of them involved just three surgical specialties:
- General Surgery, 22%
- Orthopedic Surgery, 17%
- Neurosurgery, 8%
General surgery, meaning a surgery focused mainly on abdominal contents such as the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, liver, pancreas, gallbladder, appendix and bile ducts, and the thyroid gland, was cited in 22% of the cases studied.
Orthopedic surgery, otherwise known as orthopedics, addresses any surgical procedure concerned with the musculoskeletal system and accounted for 17% of medical malpractice claims.
The third most common specialty was neurosurgery at 8% of medical malpractice claims. Neurosurgery is concerned with the surgical treatment of any disorder that affects the nervous system including the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerves, and cerebrovascular system.
Top Surgical Allegations
What exactly is happening during surgeries that result in medical malpractice claims? The study cites the performance of the surgeon as the number one allegation at a staggering 78%. The remaining 22% of allegations are divided into:
- Retained Foreign Body, 7%
- Unnecessary Procedure, 4%
- Wrong Side/Site/Patient, 3%
- Delay in Surgery, 3%
Injury Severity
Of all the analyzed medical malpractice claims, it’s important to take into consideration the extent of the injuries. Were people left emotionally traumatized? What kind of injuries actually resulted from these surgical errors itself?
The injuries resulting from surgery-related claims ranged in severity. The lowest severity, emotional damage, accounted for only 1% of injuries, while death, the highest severity, resulted in 9%.
Of the surgery-related medical malpractice claims, 29% of injuries resulted in either permanent injury or death. An additional 31% resulted in temporary major injuries, 19% claimed permanent minor injuries, and 17% said their surgery resulted in temporary minor injuries.
Conclusion
Thousands of surgical procedures are performed every day in the U.S. Although most are performed without any tragic outcomes, there are cases where medical malpractice does occur.
If you or someone you know has experienced a surgery where medical malpractice may have occurred, it’s important to know the facts. Contact a Cleveland medical malpractice attorney at Tittle & Perlmuter to be informed of your rights and seek justice for the negligence of others.
