WHO CAN BE SUED FOR A SURGICAL POSITIONING INJURY?
Our experienced surgical positioning injury attorney Philadelphia explains that it is the surgeon’s duty to ensure that the patient’s body is positioned correctly to avoid injury or damage, even though nursing staff and assistants in the surgery room are often the ones who position the patient’s body before the procedure.
When it comes to placing the patient’s body in the correct position before, during, and after a surgery, all of the following conditions must be met:
- Every member of the surgical team must have a clear and unobstructed view of the surgical site;
- The main surgeon has the full range of the operative field to perform the surgery;
- The patient’s body is positioned in a correct position to allow the anesthesiologist to administer anesthesia and other drugs during the procedure;
- The patient’s body has been placed in a position that prevents or minimizes bleeding before, during, or after the procedure; and
- The patient’s body has been placed in a position that prevents or minimizes the risks of injuries, nerve damages, pressure on the area, respiratory or circulatory issues, and others.
More often than not, to ensure that all of the above-mentioned conditions are met, members of the hospital staff responsible for positioning patients on the surgery table will have to consider a variety of factors, including but not limited to the patient’s age, weight, height, duration of the surgery, physical limitations of the patient, if any, and prior medical conditions, injuries, or illnesses.
If you woke up after the surgery with a feeling that something is wrong (other than what you could reasonably expect or were warned about by the doctors), it may be because you suffered a surgical positioning injury. If that’s the case, you may be entitled to pursue a medical malpractice claim against the negligent surgeon and other members of hospital staff. Act now before it is too late, as your injury or damage could be getting worse by the day.
Contact The Weitz Firm, LLC, for a free case evaluation. Speak about your particular case by calling us.
