Plastic Surgery Errors
Increasingly, Americans are going under the knife for plastic surgery, but their motivations are complicated. For some, plastic surgery is a way to improve their appearance and boost their confidence. For others, plastic surgery is a necessary medical procedure, as when removing breasts as a preventative measure to avoid breast cancer. Regardless of their reasons, plastic surgery patients can be injured just like everyone else by incompetent and careless doctors.
If you believe you have fallen victim to medical negligence, you might have a right to
compensation. Meet with a medical malpractice attorney at Hodges Coxe Potter & Phillips today.
Errors in the Operating Room
Plastics surgeons, like all doctors, must exercise the care that a reasonably prudent surgeon would use in the circumstances. This standard of care does not require perfection—or any guarantee that you will look 10 years younger after a face lift. Instead, plastic surgeons must act as competently as others in their field. If they do not, then you might be able to bring a medical negligence lawsuit.
Common surgical errors include:
● Wrong-site surgery: A doctor operates on a wrong part of your body. For example, you
might have wanted your right breast augmented, but the surgeon operated on your left
one.
● Implements in the body: Sponges, clamps, and gauze have all been left behind after the body is sewn back up.
● Damaged nerves or parts of the body: An incompetent surgeon might cause serious
damage, including paralysis.
● Anesthesia errors: These errors are some of the most horrific. You might be given too
little anesthesia which causes you to wake up in the middle of surgery or feel pain.
Alternately, if a patient is given too much anesthesia, he or she might die.
If you suspect your surgeon committed negligence during your plastic surgery, you should
contact a medical negligence attorney right away to review your case.
Complications from Plastic Surgery Errors
An incompetent plastic surgeon can do more than ruin your appearance. Many patients also suffer the following complications:
● Scarring
● Distortion
● Bruising
● Internal bleeding
● Skin discoloration
● Blood clots
● Infection
To repair the damage, many patients must undergo expensive and time consuming corrective surgery, which is also very difficult on the body. As a result, plastic surgery errors can be incredibly expensive to treat, costing helpless patients tens of thousands of dollars in medical bills alone.
Furthermore, when the botched surgery affects a visible part of the body (like the face), patients can experience profound depression. Indeed, the emotional fallout from plastic surgery errors can often exceed the physical discomfort.
Consider Your Options with a Wilmington Medical Negligence Attorney
Not everyone unhappy with the results of plastic surgery has a legal case. Nevertheless, if you have suffered injury during plastic surgery, we want to hear from you. At Hodges Coxe Potter & Phillips, our medical negligence attorneys in North Carolina have years of experience holding doctors accountable for their medical mistakes. Please contact us to schedule your free consultation by calling 910-772-1678.