Anesthesia is overwhelmingly safe for most patients, but it also involves a precise mixture of medications administered under careful watch. This means that there are many opportunities for error, and negligence on the part of an anesthesiologist can lead to serious, lasting health consequences, or even death.
If you believe you or a loved one was harmed due to an anesthesia error, get in touch with an experienced anesthesia malpractice lawyer serving New York. Call Buttafuoco & Associates to discuss your legal options and get the compensation you deserve: 1-800-NOW-HURT.
Types of Anesthesia Errors
There is a wide range of anesthesia errors that may occur, depending on the circumstances of the surgery. They include:
- Dosage Errors: Even small miscalculations in dosage can significantly impact a patient’s condition. An overdose can lead to cardiac arrest or brain damage. Underdoses can lead to anesthesia awareness; this is when a patient is awake and aware during the procedure, experiencing severe pain and mental anguish.
- Medication Errors: These errors involve the administration of the wrong medications. Anesthesiologists must take care to review a patient’s charts for allergies or intolerance of certain anesthetics or components in an anesthetic.
- Airway Management Errors: Incorrect intubation (placing a tube into the windpipe to keep the airway open or to administer drugs) can lead to damage in the throat or vocal cords.
- Failure to Monitor: While a patient is under anesthesia, it’s critical for the anesthesiologist to monitor all of a patient’s vital signs, such as heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing. Failure to do so can lead to serious complications, including brain damage and cardiac arrest.
Complications from Anesthesia Errors
Anesthesia errors can significantly impact the circulatory and respiratory systems, leading to serious complications, including:
- Brain Damage
- Cardiac Arrest
- Stroke
- Organ Damage
- Death
Also, as mentioned above, an underdose of anesthesia can also lead to anesthesia awareness, where a patient is awake and aware of the surgery but unable to move or communicate. This can lead to serious mental trauma and PTSD.
Seeking Damages for an Anesthesia Error
Anesthesia errors often cause permanent damage, and families of patients who have died due to anesthesia errors have a right to file a wrongful death claim on behalf of their loved one. In other words, if you or a loved one were harmed because of an anesthesia error, you may be entitled to damages. Damages may include, but are not limited to:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages or earning potential
- Pain and suffering
- Funeral expenses
- Long-term care costs
A qualified New York anesthesia malpractice attorney can help you accurately assess your damages and help you receive the compensation you are entitled to.
Filing an Anesthesia Error Lawsuit
An anesthesia error is considered a form of medical malpractice, and we recommend working with a New York anesthesia malpractice attorney you trust. Furthermore, you only have two and a half years from the date of the injury to file your claim according to the New York statute of limitations, so you should move quickly.
Proving an anesthesia error is difficult, but a firm with a strong medical malpractice team will have the resources to gather medical records and consult with expert witnesses to ensure that you build the strongest case possible. At Buttafuoco & Associates, we will be able to work with medical experts to prove that a medical error occurred. These experts can identify where your medical team was negligent and provide testimony explaining the error.
If you or a loved one suffered because of an anesthesia error, don’t hesitate to reach out to Buttafuoco & Associates.
Call 1-800-NOW-HURT to schedule a free case review with our medical malpractice team.