Surgery is stressful enough without worrying about what is happening behind the scenes. When you are on that operating table, you trust an entire medical team with your life.
One of the most important healthcare providers is the anesthesiologist. They make sure you are safe, comfortable, and unconscious during the procedure.
But what happens when something goes wrong?
While rare, mistakes made by anesthesiologists can lead to serious consequences. Sometimes even life-altering ones.
If you’ve ever wondered how often do anesthesiologists make mistakes, here is what you need to know.
What Does an Anesthesiologist Do?
An anesthesiologist is more than the person who “puts you to sleep.” They play a critical role throughout the surgical process.
- Before surgery: They will review your medical history, allergies, and current medications to develop the safest anesthesia plan.
- During surgery: They need to administer the right amount of anesthesia and monitor your heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure to keep everything stable.
- After surgery: They help you wake up safely, manage your pain, and monitor you for any complications.
This position leaves little room for error. And when things go wrong, the consequences can be serious.
How Often Do These Mistakes Happen?
These incidents are rare, but they can still happen. According to a study on the National Library of Medicine website, 17,116 anesthetic errors were reported between 2007 and 2014.
Another study found a more disturbing stat: at least one in 200 patients will suffer some type of medication error during the anesthesia process. An Institute of Medicine (IOM) 2000 study reported that 44,000 to 98,000 patients die each year as a result of medical errors, with many of them being related to medication mistakes.
Mistakes in anesthesia can happen for a variety of reasons, such as negligence, poor communication, or not paying close enough attention. Here are some of the most common errors:
Wrong Dosage
Anesthesia is all about precision. If they give too much, that can slow your breathing or stop your heart. Too little, and you might wake up during surgery. That is not only terrifying but can leave psychological scars.
Skipping Your Medical History
If you have told the medical team about your allergy to a specific drug, but the anesthesiologist overlooks it, that one oversight could lead to an allergic reaction, respiratory distress, or even death.
Intubation Mistakes
When you are under general anesthesia, the anesthesiologist uses a breathing tube to keep your airway open. If the tube is placed incorrectly, it can cause damage to your throat or prevent enough oxygen from reaching your body.
Not Monitoring Vital Signs
During surgery, your heart rate, oxygen levels, and blood pressure constantly change and need adjustments. If the anesthesiologist is not paying close attention, they could miss warning signs that something is wrong.
Equipment Errors
Anesthesiologists rely on machines to deliver drugs and monitor patients. If they do not check the equipment beforehand or fail to notice it malfunctioning, it can lead to dangerous situations.
Poor Communication
In the operating room, teamwork is everything. If the anesthesiologist doesn’t communicate properly with the surgeon or nurses, such as forgetting to mention a medication you’ve been given, it can result in preventable errors.
Neglect After Surgery
If they fail to monitor you during recovery, complications like difficulty breathing or severe nausea might go unnoticed, which can put your health at risk.
The Impact of These Errors
Anesthesia errors affect patients and families. Some of these long-term complications can include:
- Brain damage: The damage can be permanent if your brain does not get enough oxygen due to an error.
- Heart problems: Overdoses or mismanagement of vital signs can cause cardiac arrest.
- Paralysis: Mistakes with spinal or epidural anesthesia can lead to nerve damage or even paralysis.
- Psychological trauma: Waking up during surgery, also known as anesthesia awareness, can leave you with lasting emotional scars.
- Loss of life: In the most tragic cases, an anesthesia mistake can be fatal, leaving loved ones searching for answers.
When Does an Anesthesia Mistake Qualify as Malpractice?
Not every mistake is considered medical malpractice. For a case to qualify, the anesthesiologist’s actions must meet these criteria:
- Duty of care: The anesthesiologist was obligated to provide safe and competent care.
- Breach of duty: They failed to meet the standard of care, whether by making a mistake or neglecting their responsibilities.
- Causation: Their actions (or inaction) directly cause harm.
- Damages: You suffered a measurable physical, emotional, or financial loss because of the error.
What Can You Do If You’ve Been Affected?
If you or a loved one has been harmed by an anesthesiologist’s mistake, you may want to reach out to a medical malpractice lawyer. They can help determine whether the anesthesiologist’s actions qualify as negligence.
Anesthesia is one of the most important aspects of modern medicine. However, when mistakes happen, the consequences can be tremendous.
If you or someone you love has suffered due to an anesthesia error, contact McCoy & Hiestand, PLC, to see how we can help with your claim.