March 24, 2022
The Weitz Firm, LLC

Surgical centers and healthcare facilities are essential to public health. People all across the country and the state of Pennsylvania rely on surgical procedures to bring their lives back to normal. Thus, such a facility is incredibly important to citizens’ health and must be properly maintained to the best of their ability.

Amongst all of the issues already present in the American healthcare system exists another. It has been reported that some deadly complications concerning surgery in healthcare facilities are going underreported. This may mean that healthcare facilities are not being completely transparent with clients after jeopardizing their health. To learn more about healthcare malpractice, contact a Philadelphia surgicenter malpractice attorney from The Weitz Firm, LLC today.

Conflicts of Interest with Reporting Mishaps in Philadelphia

One example of a reason that a surgical center could underreport is a conflict of interest. Many service centers are unwilling to report because people practicing are also the owners of the facility. In short, it is basically a business in which reporting a complication or malpractice would result in hurting the business. This is oftentimes not the case in healthcare centers in which hospital administrators oversee physicians and is relatively unique to surgical centers.

The Real-World Consequences of Malpractice

One example of a surgical center situation gone wrong is the case of Paulina Tam. After receiving surgery on her spine four hours prior, Tam reportedly was unable to breathe as blood was clogging her windpipe. While this is a common complication for the type of spinal surgery she had, no one at the surgical center knew what to do and therefore decided to dial 911. By the time she made it to the emergency room at a proper hospital, the 58-year-old mother had passed away.
As time passes, surgical centers have begun to pop up as they are considered low-cost alternatives for small and less significant surgeries. Unfortunately, they outnumber hospitals as federal regulators sign off on more and more surgical procedures that can be performed in these types of environments. Furthermore, the rules and regulations surrounding these centers are lax, and some of the practicing physicians and nurses may not be properly qualified for the advanced-level surgeries they are attending. The situation has led to an increased amount of malpractice and more centers dialing 911 after butchering a surgery.

The Eastern PA Firm Fighting for Patients’ Rights

Surgical center mishaps happen more than they should. Knowing and understanding the risks of undergoing a severe surgery at a surgical center is only the first step in ensuring your safety. Oftentimes, families have no other option but to take their loved ones to a service center due to their abundance and low-cost approach to healthcare. While these may be life-saving or life-enhancing surgeries – they may pose a serious risk to individuals. If you or a loved one has become a victim of malpractice in a surgical center, please reach out to a Philadelphia surgical center malpractice attorney by calling 267-587-6240 at The Weitz Firm, LLC.

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