Any surgery is serious and potentially full of unwanted complications. Wrong site surgery or surgery performed on the wrong body part or wrong area of the body are extremely serious and may lead to fatal consequences. Wrong-site surgeries are considered “never events” and continue to occur despite the implementation of the Universal Protocol by The Joint Commission in 2003.
In spite of this designation and the work Wrong-site surgeries are considered “never events” and continue to occur despite the implementation of the Universal Protocol by The Joint Commission in 2003. Yet, they still occur. A Joint Commission publication on the subject earlier this year (February 2023) noted that there have been 68 wrong site surgeries between 2013 and 2020. Female patients account for more than half of the victims of these failed surgeries. These wrong site surgeries occur primarily in orthopedic surgeries, neurological procedures, urological surgeries, and neurosurgery.
The Joint Commission found that these wrong site surgeries occur because of a failure to follow established policies and procedures as well as failure to review medical records. It is interesting to note that both causes of these types of surgeries concern human error. A stricter adherence to established norms and procedures would lessen the likelihood that anyone be victimized by such negligence.
If you or a loved one, have been injured due to a wrong site surgical procedure, contact us for a free initial consultation. We have vast experience handling these types of tragic cases.
Edward A. Ruffo, Partner
Mr. Ruffo currently litigates cases at the state and federal levels in New York and New Jersey and has obtained numerous multi-million dollar medical damage awards for his clients. He has been annually ranked as a Top 10 and Top 100 Trial Lawyer by numerous professional societies including The National Trial Lawyers Association.
