Huge numbers of surgeries and medical procedures are performed every day under the use of anesthesia. Anesthesiologists may use several different types of anesthesia, such as general anesthesia, local anesthesia, or regional anesthesia, depending on the patient and the type of surgery involved.
When an anesthesia error occurs and a patient is harmed, that harm usually occurs because the staff members failed to monitor the patient before, during, or after the surgical procedure. If an error does occur, it’s not always easy to tell what type of error occurred. Your doctor may need to work with medical experts to determine which types of errors occurred. Often though, errors during anesthesia involve respiratory events or brain damage. Cardiac events are another common problem involving anesthesia.
Fortunately, deaths from anesthesia errors are fairly rare, although they do happen. Studies have shown that the most common cause of death involving anesthesia is an overdose, which can sometimes be attributed to error on the part of the anesthesiologist. Those who do survive an overdose may be left with brain damage or other conditions.
Call me, Conal Doyle, Los Angeles medical malpractice attorney at 310-385-0567 if you or a loved one has been harmed by an anesthesiologist’s error during surgery. My team can help determine if you have a valid case. Call today to learn more or to schedule your free consultation.