You May be Surprised to Learn about the Most Common Medical Malpractice Claim for Anesthesia
New York City medical patients and residents may be aware of the risks of being put under anesthesia at a doctor’s office or medical center. Indeed, most people throughout New York City and throughout the United States have heard horror stories about the problems and complications that may come up when a person is put under anesthesia for a medical procedure. However, many New York City medical patients and residents may have the wrong impression when it comes to the most common anesthesia medical malpractice error. Rather than a “catastrophic” complication instantly leading to death or disability, this common anesthesia error is perhaps less thought-of and less life-threatening than many might imagine. But what is the most common anesthesia error, and why is it surprising? To help New York City medical patients and residents better understand the true risks of undergoing anesthesia, we answer that question here.
Anesthesia and Tooth Damage – The Numbers Do Not Lie
The surprising “most common” medical malpractice claim when it comes to anesthesia malpractice is not death or heart complications, but rather it is tooth damage. An estimated whopping one-quarter (22-23%) of all anesthesia-related medical malpractice claims are for tooth damage from anesthesia procedures. Tooth damage may occur when an intubation tube used for the anesthesia procedure is placed into the mouth and into the windpipe. The intubation tube can come into contact with the patient’s teeth as the tube is being inserted, and can crack, damage, and knock teeth loose. In order to prevent tooth damage in anesthesia procedures, doctors administering anesthesia should assess a patient’s teeth to make sure that they have a plan in place to avoid damaging the teeth during the anesthesia procedure.
Legal Rights and Options for Victims of Medical Malpractice in New York City
New York City medical patients and residents should know about their rights and options to compensation if they are injured by a trusted medical professional. Under New York medical malpractice laws, victims of medical malpractice in New York City may be entitled to money compensation for their injuries and losses. In order to determine whether you may have a claim for compensation under New York City medical malpractice laws, it is best to speak with an experienced New York City medical malpractice lawyer as soon as possible about your specific medical malpractice case.
$3.3 million Settlement 39-year-old Healthy Liposuction Patient Dies Due to Negligence of Plastic Surgeon and Anesthesiologist During Surgery
On July 18, 2012, Sait went to his Fifth Avenue Plastic Surgeon’s office for a voluntary non- emergency elective liposuction procedure for his waist, chest, and neck. Sait came into the operating room as a healthy 39-year-old male and was declared dead upon arrival at the emergency room at the hospital by EMS. The Plastic Surgeon and the Anesthesiologist each blamed the other. The Plastic Surgeon claimed that when he turned Sait’s neck during the procedure, the LMA (anesthesia mask) became dislodged, and the Anesthesiologist was unable to reinsert it. The Anesthesiologist claimed that the Plastic Surgeon overinflated Sait’s neck with too much tumescent fluid and distorted the neck anatomy and airway. The Anesthesiologist tried to intubate Sait multiple times but was unsuccessful. The multiple attempts traumatized Sait’s airway, caused blood to pool, and obscured the Anesthesiologist’s visibility of his airway. A laryngospasm caused Sait’s airway to close. The Anesthesiologist failed to deliver Sucs, a medication used to break a laryngospasm and which she had with her in the OR. Instead, the Anesthesiologist claims that she told the Plastic Surgeon to perform a Tracheotomy. But then told him to stop once she was able to pass a tube into Sait’s lungs. The Anesthesiologist never followed the standard of care which is the Difficult Airway Algorithm which required her to use sucs (Succinylcholine is a medication used by doctors during surgery to break a laryngospasm and open the vocal cords so the patient can be properly intubated). The Anesthesiologist also never attempted to ventilate Sait with an oxygen mask or revive him. The Plastic Surgeon never intervened or attempted a Tracheotomy (which is an opening in the front of the neck that’s made as an emergency procedure to deliver air to the patient’s lungs) (a scar on patient’s neck is a mere inconvenience when compared with the alternative- death of the patient). None of the claims made by either doctor during the case was documented in the medical notes or communicated to the New York City Medical Examiner’s office at any time. The doctors produced two anesthesiology charts, when normally only one exists. The records were changed to cover up the doctors’ negligence. The one in the Plastic Surgeon’s chart contained an additional 15 minutes at the end of the procedure to show everything was completely normal. The chart was also changed to show that Sait’s airway appeared more difficult when it was originally recorded as completely normal. EMS tried multiple attempts to revive Sait, and he was declared dead upon arrival at the Hospital’s Emergency Room. Based on the records, Sait received no oxygen for approximately 15 minutes while on the operating room table. Sait was a successful Turkish computer executive, loved life and enjoyed travelling, had no prior medial problems or complications, was single, and is survived by his family members.
The experienced New York City medical malpractice lawyers at the law firm of Michael Gunzburg, P.C. are here to help victims of medical malpractice in New York City. There is a limited time to file a claim for compensation under New York medical malpractice laws, so do not hesitate to contact the law office of Michael Gunzburg, P.C. today. If you or a loved one were injured by a doctor’s negligence, contact the experienced New York City medical malpractice lawyers at the law office of Michael Gunzburg, P.C. today and learn about your rights and options for compensation now.
