The Serious Risk of Blood Loss During Surgery
Posted in Medical Malpractice on January 15, 2021
All surgeries carry some type of risk. In some cases, these complications are unavoidable and are not the fault of any medical professional. In other situations, however, you can suffer a serious adverse event due to the negligent actions of the medical professionals overseeing your care.
Some of the most serious post-surgery complications are postoperative hemorrhages. This life-threatening event often occurs due to the preventable error of a medical professional. If you suffered damages due to a postoperative hemorrhage and believe your medical team is at-fault, you may be eligible for a medical malpractice lawsuit.
What Is a Postoperative Hemorrhage?
A postoperative hemorrhage occurs when you experience bleeding after a surgery. It is a relatively common complication that can happen after any type of surgery. The hemorrhaging may occur immediately after the procedure or may begin a few hours or days afterward. It may occur around the surgical site or another area of the body.
There are multiple reasons why a postoperative hemorrhage may occur, including the following.
- Internal organ damage: During surgery, a surgeon may accidentally slice into an organ and fail to notice the damage. As a result, you can suffer from internal bleeding that you are unaware of until a later date.
- Blood vessel damage: The surgical team may need to move you before, during, and after surgery. During the course of this movement, your blood vessels may rupture or break, leading to internal bleeding and serious complications.
- Secondary hemorrhaging: You may not bleed immediately after the surgery, but you may start to bleed afterward. This is known as secondary hemorrhaging, and may occur for a number of reasons, such as failure to create blood clots or the use of certain medications.
- Stitching issues: After your surgery, the surgeon will need to stitch or staple your wound. If he or she stitches or staples your wound improperly, it can open and start to bleed.
The Dangers of Postoperative Hemorrhages
Postoperative hemorrhages can be life-threatening without prompt treatment, depending on where and how the bleeding occurred. Losing too much blood can lead to death, and if a surgeon damages an important organ during your procedure, your organs can shut down and you can experience a serious medical emergency. You may develop permanent organ damage or failure.
You can prevent postoperative hemorrhages with proper post-surgical care. Physicians have a responsibility to ensure that you receive the right aftercare instructions following a surgery and to check for common complications, such as dangerous blood loss. Surgeons also have a responsibility to uphold a certain standard of care during a surgical procedure, avoid committing mistakes that could lead to hemorrhaging, and rectify these errors as soon as they detect them.
If your surgeon’s actions cause you to suffer from serious blood loss or your physician fails to run necessary postoperative tests to detect hemorrhaging, you may be eligible to file a medical malpractice claim against them.
Through a medical malpractice lawsuit, you can recover compensation for the damages you suffered due to the postoperative hemorrhage, including the following.
- All past and future medical expenses related to your postoperative hemorrhage
- Disability accommodations and live-in care
- Lost wages during your recovery periods and loss of future earnings if your injuries prevent you from returning to work
- Wrongful death compensation, if you lost a loved one due to postoperative hemorrhaging
Seek Justice
If you believe you may qualify for a medical malpractice lawsuit, contact a Kansas City medical malpractice attorney as soon as possible. A Missouri medical malpractice lawyer will have the skills, resources, and experience necessary to hold these negligent professionals accountable and secure maximum compensation for your losses.