Chicago Laparoscopic Surgery Malpractice Lawsuit

Laparoscopic surgery is a safe and effective surgical procedure in many cases. However, there are some potential complications associated with it. These could include infection, damage to organs or surrounding tissue due to the use of instruments, and nerve damage from the anesthesia.

In rare cases, internal bleeding can also occur due to inadvertent injury during the procedure. Furthermore, laparoscopic surgery can sometimes be difficult for inexperienced surgeons, requiring precise coordination between hand movements and video imagery.

The medical malpractice lawyers at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, LLC, advocate for injured patients harmed in laparoscopic procedures.

Contact an attorney today to discuss you Chicago laparoscopic surgery malpractice lawsuit at (888) 424-5757 or use the contact form for additional information or schedule a free consultation to discuss your case.

What Is Laparoscopic Surgery?

Laparoscopic surgery is a minimally invasive procedure that uses tiny cuts and a laparoscope with a camera to allow the surgeon to see inside the body. Before the surgery, technicians inject gas into the abdomen to inflate it so that the abdominal wall does not interfere with the organs.

This surgery is much less invasive than traditional laparotomy, which requires large cuts and often leaves permanent scar tissue. Laparoscopy can diagnose and treat tumors, cysts, hernias, and cancer. It can also remove organs such as the appendix.

The benefits of laparoscopic surgery are numerous. Compared to traditional surgery, it requires shorter hospital stays and recovery times.

Additionally, there is less risk of infections or other complications associated with larger incisions.

Furthermore, since only small incisions are made in the abdominal wall during laparoscopy, many patients experience less discomfort.

Gynecologic Laparoscopic Surgery

Gynecologic laparoscopic surgery is an alternative to open surgeries for gynecology patients. It is a type of surgery that uses small incisions and specialized instruments to better visualize an internal organ or bile duct.

Compared to traditional open surgery, laparoscopic surgery has many advantages. It causes less trauma to the body due to smaller incisions and shorter recovery times.

Typically, the patient experiences less pain after the procedure since there are fewer cuts in the skin. Furthermore, laparoscopy allows doctors to get a better view of the internal organs, which helps them make more accurate diagnoses and treatments.

Laparoscopy Uses

Laparoscopy is a surgery used to better visualize internal organs. Surgeons use a narrow tool to make a tiny incision to insert a laparoscope with a camera attached to its end.

Gas is injected into the abdomen before the surgery to inflate the area so that the abdominal wall does not interfere with the organs. Laparoscopy can diagnose and treat conditions such as tumors, cysts, hernias, and cancer and remove organs such as the appendix, gall bladder, or unusual tumors.

Laparoscopic surgery is often better than traditional laparotomy, which requires a larger opening, leaving permanent scarring. These procedures require only a few days in the hospital and a recovery time of only a few weeks compared to common surgery when the condition is fixed in its early stages.

Many older surgeons receive their ‘formal training’ while performing multiple surgeries because this medical care is relatively new.

Advanced Surgical Procedures

While it is typically safer than more invasive surgical procedures, laparoscopic surgery errors can still occur and cause significant harm. To seek compensation for injuries caused by laparoscopic surgery errors, a plaintiff must prove that the defendant breached the applicable standard of care.

Common malpractice causes include misidentifying anatomy or failing to recognize and repair damage to a nerve, bowel, or another structure during the operation.

Additionally, failing to call in a specialist if the surgeon lacks experience repairing an injury, monitoring the patient’s condition closely after surgery, and moving aggressively at the first sign of an injury can all lead to medical negligence.

Medical Professional Errors

Surgical errors are a serious issue in the medical field and can have devastating consequences for the surgical patient. These errors can occur due to reduced visibility in tight spaces or when surgeons misidentify anatomy or fail to recognize an injury during the operation.

Laparoscopic surgery is a modern surgical technique that involves inserting small cameras into the body through tiny slits, but even this surgery carries the risk of malpractice if the surgeon fails to recognize and repair common injuries such as a nick to a bowel.

In addition, failing to call in a specialist if the surgeon lacks experience with the injury, failing to monitor the patient’s condition closely after surgery, act quickly at signs of an injury, as well as failing to correctly use antibiotics for protection against infections can all lead to medical malpractice.

Laparoscopic Surgery Complications

Laparoscopic surgery can diagnose and treat gastrointestinal and reproductive disorders. It is typically safer than more invasive procedures and surgeries, but errors can still happen and cause serious harm or death to the patient.

Common complications from laparoscopic surgery include:

• Fever or chills
• Dizziness or lightheadedness
• Trouble urinating
• Severe abdominal pain
• Persistent cough
• Death

The patient should contact their doctors immediately to ensure prompt treatment if any of these symptoms develop after laparoscopic surgery.

In addition to the normal risks associated with laparoscopic surgery, other types of surgical errors may happen due to medical malpractice.

To prove medical negligence in a malpractice case, the plaintiff must demonstrate that the defendant had a duty to abide by the applicable standard of care and that their acts or omissions constituted a departure from this standard.

Access complications during laparoscopic surgery can be extremely serious and even life-threatening. Bowel perforation, hemorrhage, and peritonitis are some of the most common complications when accessing a surgical site.

• A perforated bowel occurs when the surgeon accidentally punctures the intestinal wall’s vital structures, leading to intestinal contents leaking into the abdominal cavity.
• Hemorrhage is excessive bleeding from a wound or incision, leading to shock or death if not treated quickly.
• Peritonitis is an infection of the abdominal cavity lining caused by bacteria entering through a wound or incision.

An abdominal wall hematoma is a collection of blood outside a blood vessel in the patient’s abdomen, which can cause extreme discomfort and swelling if not treated promptly.

Pneumoperitoneum

Pneumoperitoneum is when too much air or other gas accumulates in the peritoneal cavity during the procedure. Various medical and surgical options, including laparoscopy and endoscopy, can cause it.

While laparoscopic surgery is generally considered a safe procedure, some potential complications can arise from pneumoperitoneum.

Additionally, high blood pressure may happen due to the increased pressure within the patient’s abdomen, leading to further health risks such as stroke or heart attack.

Finally, respiratory acidosis may develop due to the accumulation of carbon dioxide in the abdominal cavity, leading to difficulty breathing and other respiratory symptoms. In some cases, open surgery may be necessary due to these complications of pneumoperitoneum.

Operation Complications

Severe complications can be serious, even deadly. Some of the most common injuries include:

• Infection is common and can develop if the tiny incisions at the surgical site are not properly cleaned or the right antibiotics are not prescribed.
• Hemorrhage can be caused by medications that limit clotting or organ perforation.
• Surgical errors can also happen due to reduced visibility in tight spaces.
• Internal injuries such as organ misidentification and unintended incisions may happen depending on the procedure.

Injuries sustained due to these errors may be defined as medical malpractice, which can have serious consequences for patients and medical professionals.

Every patient must understand the risks associated with any operation they are considering, so they can make an informed decision about their care.

Misdiagnosing the Patient’s Condition

Misdiagnosing a patient’s condition is a serious issue that can lead to medical malpractice. Additionally, if the misdiagnosis causes the patient’s original condition to remain undiagnosed and worsen, it can lead to delayed or nonexistent treatment.

Negligence can result when doctors and medical staff fail to properly monitor a patient’s condition after surgery or do not react quickly enough to an injury sustained during surgery.

Furthermore, if they do not call in a specialist with more experience in a particular type of surgery, this could also be considered medical malpractice.

Negligence

Medical negligence is a serious issue that can have devastating consequences for the surgical patient. It occurs when a doctor or other medical professional fails to provide the standard of care expected in their field.

Patient negligence includes failing to monitor the patient’s condition after surgery, reacting quickly to an injury, calling a specialist in if the surgeon lacks experience, and providing antibiotics after surgery.

Resolving a Medical Malpractice Case

When determining whether an individual will receive compensation for negligence, judges may consider factors such as the doctor’s experience with the procedure, the rate of complications, and how much information the patient received before the operation.

If the patient provided informed consent, they may still be able to sue the doctors for malpractice if negligence is found.

Hire a Lawyer Specializing in Chicago Laparoscopic Surgery Malpractice Lawsuit

Did you suffer a serious or life-threatening injury caused by a surgical error during a laparoscopic procedure? Are you seeking financial compensation from the facility and medical experts that caused your harm?

Our Cook County healthcare negligence lawyers at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, LLC, can help you file and resolve a medical malpractice claim for compensation from the defendant’s insurance company.

Call us at (888) 424-5757 to schedule a free consultation.

We accept every personal injury case and wrongful death lawsuit on a contingency fee agreement. This arrangement ensures you will not pay our fees until we obtain compensation for you.

Resources:

• About Laparoscopy | Johns Hopkins Medicine
• Understanding Laparoscopic Surgery – PMC