Have you ever wondered if there is a certain time when medical malpractice is more likely? Have you even wondered if a surgeon’s personal life will interfere with the outcome of your surgical procedure? If those thoughts have crossed your mind, you are not alone. A recent study looked at the mortality rate for patients who underwent emergency surgical procedures on the surgeon’s birthday. Researchers examined nearly 1 million surgical procedures performed by almost 50,000 surgeons. They concluded that a patient undergoing an emergency procedure on the surgeon’s birthday experienced higher mortality rates than patients whose surgical procedures were performed on other days. The researchers believe the results of their study suggest life events outside of work may distract surgeons.
Unfortunately, in an emergency situation, you don’t always have the luxury of choosing the doctor you want or trust. Depending on how quickly you need emergency surgery, you may be stuck with whomever the surgeon is at the hospital. Much like a distracted driver, distracted surgeons are more likely to make mistakes that injure people. In those situations, the injury or death may have been preventable. When a patient’s life rests in the surgeon’s hands, he or she owes you a duty to perform their job as a reasonable, prudent surgeon. This is true regardless of what is happening in the surgeon’s life. That means putting aside the distractions and focusing on saving the patient. If a distraction occurs in the operating room and a patient is injured or killed by the negligence of the surgeon, you or your loved ones may have a case against the doctor and the hospital. Call the experienced medical malpractice lawyers of Snyder & Wenner now at 602-224-0005 for a free consultation.