Surgery always comes with certain risks. Medical professionals in Texas and other states are required to disclose and explain those risks to patients before a procedure so they understand the surgical process and be prepared for the procedure and the recovery. What patients don’t expect is to suffer from fatal malpractice during or following surgery. A recent lawsuit filed in another state claims that a surgeon failed to meet standard medical practices after surgery, which led to the deaths of two separate patients.
The terms of the lawsuit
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of the estates of two victims of alleged medical malpractice. Both women had abdominal surgical procedures in Sept. 2021. The surgeries were performed by the same surgeon in the same health network. A medical professional unrelated to the case reviewed documents about both surgical procedures and determined that the surgeon in question did not follow proper protocol during and after the surgeries, following which the patients died of sepsis (overwhelming systemic infection).
Standards of care are in place to keep patients safe. When a professional doesn’t follow these standards of care during surgery and post-op, patients can suffer serious complications – even death. Infections and sepsis are life-threatening conditions. When healthcare professionals don’t take preventative measures to prevent and/or treat post-operative conditions, they may be held liable for medical negligence.
Help is available for victims of medical negligence
Medical negligence can leave Texas victims seriously injured and sometimes the results are fatal. Victims of medical negligence or their family members have the right to seek accountability and compensation through a civil lawsuit. This compensation can be used to pay for expenses associated with the injuries, or compensate for lost income from a deceased or incapacitated wage earner. An experienced medical malpractice attorney can evaluate a victim’s claims to help them make the right decisions based on their case.