Every year in Ohio and across the country, numerous individuals need to have their gallbladders removed. Medical providers claim this is a minimally invasive surgery, particularly as surgeons often perform the procedure laparoscopically. Unfortunately, there are those who experience complications due to medical negligence. Are you one of them?
After feeling unwell for a while and experiencing pain in your abdomen, you finally take a trip to the doctor. You find out you have gallstones that are causing inflammation and preventing your gallbladder from working properly. The prescribed course of treatment was surgery. You trusted your doctor and went for it and now you feel worse than you did before the procedure. What went wrong?
Potential complications
The risk of anything going wrong during a laparoscopic gallbladder removal surgery is said to be only two percent. Common complications following this type of surgery include:
- Negative reaction to anesthesia
- Blood clots
- Infection
- Bleeding
Your surgeon should have explained all of the risks of surgery to you before your procedure. Of course, that two percent does not include complications arising from human error. Such complications may include:
- Damage to surrounding organs
- Blood vessel perforation
- Anesthesia error
While mistakes happen in the operating room, if they are or are believed to be the result of medical negligence, you may have the right to seek compensation for your losses.
How can I seek compensation?
In order to seek damages, victims of medical malpractice must file the appropriate claims in court against the responsible party or parties — the physician, the medical support staff or the facility where the procedure took place. This is a fairly straightforward thing to do, however, it is necessary to get a case review to make sure going this route is both justified and in your best interest.
Once you file your claim, there are two ways to reach a resolution: in court or through out-of-court settlement negotiations. Many of these cases ultimately settle in order for the defendants to avoid the negative press and cost of a trial. However, sometimes negotiations fail and litigation becomes necessary. Your attorney will work hard for you regardless of which way it ends up going.
Do you think you have a case?
If your gallbladder surgery did not go as you expected and you think you have a medical malpractice case on your hands, it is okay to start pursuing relief as soon as you feel ready to — just make sure you do not wait too long as statutes of limitations do apply in such cases.