Surgical ErrorsPost-Surgery Falls

Surgery and the use of anesthesia involve multiple risks and complications such as patient falls. Most of these risks and complications are also associated with a risk of falling. Anesthesia impairs coordination and may leave patients feeling groggy and unsteady. Out patient surgery centers that use anesthesia do not permit surgical patients to drive home. This is why those same facilities and in patient surgery centers should anticipate and prevent patients from falling after surgery. Surgeries typically involve the risk of internal bleeding and blood loss. Patients that suffer from significant blood loss or internal bleeding will be at a higher risk of falling. Hospitals have rules in place to prevent surgical patients from falling.

If you or a loved one suffered a injuries from a fall after surgery please contact the medical malpractice lawyers at Patterson Law to schedule a free consultation.

Medical professionals conduct a fall risk assessment that will correspond to a level of service. After surgery there will be fall risks associated with the surgical procedure. The risk of falling due to the surgery has to also be assessed with the patient’s fall risk before surgery. The fall risk assessment is often performed on a preprinted check list style form. Common factors that increase the risk of falling include:

• Prior Falls
• Weakness
• Incontinence
• Dementia
• Neurological Deficits
• Dizziness
• Overactive bladder
• Confusion
• Gait problems
• Osteoporosis
• Balance problems

Most medical facilities will take steps to mark a person as being a fall risk as well as instituting actions that indicate a patient is a high fall risk. Typically patients will be fitted with a wrist band indicating that the resident is a high fall risk as well as a sign on their door indicating the fall risk level. Monitoring services are also a sign that a patient is a high fall risk. This may include an alarm that goes off if a patient pulls away for their wheel chair or bed. A hospital bed with guards to prevent residents from getting up on their own or falling off a bed is an indication that they are a fall risk.

Surgeons and Anesthesiologists each have duties to assess patients after surgery for common problems such as internal bleeding and a safe emersion from anesthesia. Failure to identify any of these problems increases the risk of falls. The nursing and postsurgical care also requires the following of certain protocols to prevent falls. The protocols that are required depend on the patient’s fall risk. Errors can occur with failing to follow fall risk protocols as well as a failure to properly identify the risk of a particular patient falling.

The medical malpractice lawyers at Patterson Law frequently handle cases involving the violation of fall risk protocols by medical facilities such as hospitals and surgery centers. These violations have resulted in serious head injuries, fractures and even death. If you or a loved one sustained injuries as a result of a fall after a surgery please call fall prevention lawyer George Patterson for a free consultation to discuss your case.