Are you scheduled for surgery? Is your surgeon paying attention? You surely hope so, but why take a chance?
Lots of people remember when Rolando Sanchez, M.D., cut off the wrong leg of Willie King in a Tampa hospital. The case made national news. The case highlighted a problem that has been occurring in hospitals for many years and that is the alarming frequency with which medical malpractice in the form of wrong site surgery occurs.
Since that terrible incident hospitals developed new protocols for surgical procedures. The operating room staff will check and double check the patient's chart and ask the patient, "What procedure are you here for?" Patients are often alarmed when they hear this. The patient thinks...well shouldn't you know what procedure I am here for?
But, it is part of the new procedures hospitals are using. Also, operating room staff will mark the site of the surgery. If you are having surgery here are some tips from an experienced medical malpractice attorney to prevent a wrong site surgery in Ocala and around Florida:
**Be sure you pay attention to what is going on around you.
**Be sure the hospital staff has marked the correct site for surgery.
**Bring a friend or family member with you and have them pay attention to what the hospital staff is doing as you, the patient, may be under the influence of anesthetic and you cannot know what is going on around you.
**The best way to prevent medical malpractice is to be an alert patient.
If you think you have been the subject of medical malpractice call an experienced medical malpractice attorney/lawyer ASAP, remember there are
Statutes of Limitations.