Preventable Complications: Who Are the Country’s Most Dangerous Surgeons?

 Posted on December 00, 0000 in Cook County personal injury lawyer

In 1999, the medical report, “To Err is Human” was released, shining a spotlight on what was previously unknown by an unsuspecting public – the actual number of medical errors which occur every day. According to the report, which was compiled by the Institute of Medicine, there were approximately 44,000 to 98,000 lives lost every year due to mistakes made by medical personnel. Although the report is credited with exposing this deadly issue, medical errors continue to be epidemic and recent studies estimate that there are now over 200,000 people who die from medical errors each year – making it the number three cause of death in the country.

Thousands of patients who thought they were having a simple procedure done have died from injuries or other complications caused by medical mistakes.

The question remains – why do medical error fatalities continue to increase despite the awareness of the issue? One factor may have to do with how the medical community addressed – and continues to address – the problem. Initiatives were taken to address potential procedural problems within a medical facility, including encouraging members of medical teams to be vocal about any issues they see, safety checklists that should be followed, and handwashing campaigns.

What has never been addressed is tracking the medical error rates per physician at each hospital. Until now, that is, as one recent study analyzed 2.3 million surgeries performed between the years 2009 through 2013 on Medicare patients. The surgeries included gallbladder removals, hip and knee replacements, prostate removals and resections, and spinal fusions.

Based on the recommendations of more than 20 physicians, the study group identified the following as surgical complications: blood clots, infections, uncontrolled bleeding, and misaligned orthopedic devices. Only complications which resulted in the patient’s death in the hospital or a readmission within 30 days after the surgery were counted in the study.

According to the data, more than 63,000 patients suffered serious harm, with 3,405 dying from the medical error. Medicare paid $645 million just on the readmissions for patients with complications caused by medical errors.

What makes these numbers even more startling is that just 11 percent of doctors were the were involved in 25 percent of the complications which occurred. The study found that there were hundreds of surgeons nationwide who had double – and in some cases – triple the amount of medical errors than the national average, including some who are affiliated with some of the most renowned medical institutions in the country.