Three Things to Know about Cosmetic Surgery Malpractice

When you get cosmetic surgery done, you assume that it is a simple outpatient procedure and there will be no problems. Unfortunately, some patients have issues when their surgeon or other medical staff was negligent and it led to personal injury or emotional or economic turmoil. This might eventually lead to a malpractice suit. Here is more information about this type of medical malpractice.

What mistakes can be made during cosmetic surgery?

There are a variety of different mistakes that can potentially be made when going in for cosmetic surgery. Not only are there actual surgery mistakes, but administrative ones as well. Some nonsurgical mistakes include a nurse not getting your full medical history and missing an allergy that caused a problem during surgery or not using sterilized tools. During surgery, there are many other things that could be considered negligent, such as improper use of anesthesia, not providing enough oxygen to the part of the body being operated on, nerve damage, or excessive scarring. Some patients might also end up with blood clotting or infection that could have been prevented, or someone could even have a dangerous drop in blood pressure or pass away during a procedure.

What situations are the surgeons and medical staff responsible for?

Medical staff, surgeons and administrative staff are only responsible for injuries related to their negligence. If an injury occurred because the patient did not do what they were told, that probably won't hold up in court. For example, patients are usually told to stop smoking cigarettes a few weeks before a cosmetic procedure. This is to help them fight off infection. If the patient gets a post-operative infection and they were found to be smoking that entire time, it would be more difficult for them to win a malpractice lawsuit. The same goes for medications the patient was supposed to stop taking or if they didn't take prescribed antibiotics after the procedure.

What types of damages can you sue for?

If you believe you are a victim of cosmetic surgery malpractice, there are a few different things you can sue for. First of all, you can sue for economic damages. This includes bills for any medical care you had to receive as a result of the negligence, such as co-pays, deductibles, prescriptions, and procedures. If you had to take any time off work, you can include lost wages. Physical damages should definitely be included, which include any suffering you had to experience as a result of correcting the error that was made. Along the same lines is emotional or psychological stress that you endured.

Make sure you have a good personal injury lawyer who has handled similar cases before. You will need to compile evidence against the surgeon or medical staff and provide documentation of the damages you had to deal with.

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