Many Things Can and Do Go Wrong With Anesthesiology

Cleveland, OH (Law Firm Newswire) March 7, 2011 – There are a number of things that can go wrong during surgery. Many of those mishaps may involve the anesthesiologist.

“It’s not unusual for patients facing surgery to be frightened. They have every reason to be, as they are putting their lives in the hands of someone they don’t know and have, in most cases, never met. On top of that, they’re getting knocked out to go through their operation. They need to know that the person putting them under will do right by them,” said Christopher Mellino. Mellino is a Cleveland medical malpractice lawyer of the Mellino Law Firm LLC, in Ohio.

Anything relating to surgery starts with the skill or lack of skill of the anesthesiologist; the medical doctor who puts patients under by sedating them. They are responsible for calculating what dose the patient needs, setting up the proper equipment for the process, giving the medication and monitoring them during surgery. While this process may sound relatively simple, there are many things that can and do go wrong.

“For instance, there have been cases where the anesthesiologist did not properly monitor the patient, where the patient was left alone and not watched, where the patient got too much anesthesia and instances of intubation errors. This is not any easy job by any stretch of the imagination and there is a high potential for mistakes,” Mellino said.

What happens when the anesthesiologist messes up? “There are a number of injuries that may be expected if things do not go right, including brain damage and choking. Either of these injuries has the potential to lead to long-term permanent problems for the patient or may result in death. Those who have received the wrong dose of anesthesia run the risk of slipping into a coma; some may lose teeth from a botched intubation and some may have a lung punctured for the same reason,” Mellino said.

“If you suspect you have been the victim of medical malpractice at the hands of an anesthesiologist, then please, by all means, contact my office and let’s discuss your case. If you need experienced legal counsel, we are able to assist you with your med mal claim,” Mellino said.

To learn more or to contact a Cleveland Medical Malpractice attorney or Cleveland malpractice attorney, visit http://www.christophermellino.com.

Mellino Law Firm LLC
200 Public Sq. Suite 2900
Cleveland, Ohio 44114
Call: (216) 241-1901