What is surgery negligence?

When undergoing surgery, you need to put your trust in the medical professionals. In the vast majority, surgeries and the recovery following surgery goes well. However, there are occasions when mistakes are made.

All surgical procedures have an element or risk, but when mistakes are made which causes you further suffering, you may be entitled to compensation for surgery negligence.

What mistakes can occur as a result of negligent surgery?

Tiredness, lack of training, miscommunication and incompetence can all lead to mistakes being made during surgery. Such mistakes include:

• Performing the wrong operation
• Wrong site surgery - performing the operation in the wrong place
• Damaging nerves or arteries
• Damaging organs, such as the spleen, liver, bowel and bladder
• Failing to notice damage to organs, such as the spleen, liver, bowel and bladder
• Cholecystectomy - damaging the bile duct during gall-bladder removal
• Hernia operations leading to death of a testicle
• Leaving instruments, swabs or other items inside the body
• Urological mistakes
• Anaesthetic mistakes (such as the patient being awake or partially awake during a procedure when they should be unconscious)
• Brain injury
• Spinal injury

When errors and oversights are made, it can cause unnecessary pain and suffering to the injured person and can even worsen their condition with devastating outcomes.

Can I claim for errors in keyhole surgery?

Yes. We have recovered a significant amount of compensation for people where keyhole surgery has caused serious problems. These include:

• Mistakes in gall bladder surgery (Cholecystectomy)
• Bile duct damage
• Damage to the bowel or bladder
• Damage to nerves
• Damage to blood vessels
• Failure to notice organs / nerves damaged during surgery
• Failure to notice infection developed after surgery.

If you’ve had a surgery which has caused complications, contact us to establish your full legal position 0330 041 5869.

What negligence is likely to cause injury following surgery?

There are occasions when the surgery carried out is a success. However, mistakes are made following surgery which can lead to injury and illness. Such mistakes include:

• Failing to notice that a patient is developing infection: contracting an infection is not always a sign of negligence but failing to note the signs of infection may be. A neglected infection can be much worse than an infection treated early.
• Failing to notice the organs, such as the bowel, are not working properly. Obstruction of the bowel can be very serious indeed.

Can I make a surgery compensation claim for a loved one who passed away?

Yes. If a medical professional was negligent during surgery, which has led to the death of a loved one, you may be entitled to claim surgery negligence compensation.

Contact our surgery negligence solicitors who will advise you what you’re entitled to and will get you the justice you deserve. The vast majority of our surgery negligence cases are funded by a No Win No Fee agreement, which means if you lose your case, you won't have to pay any fees, and therefore, there’s no financial risk to you.

How much time do I have to make a surgery claim?

If you believe you have a surgery claim, it’s important that you seek advice from a solicitor who specialises in medical negligence cases as soon as possible, as there are time limits in place in England, Scotland and Wales.

Generally, a claim for surgery compensation should be made within three years from the date the negligence occurred or the date you were first aware that you had suffered a significant injury or illness due to negligence. However, there are exceptions.

To read more about the time limits of making a surgery claim, please read our medical negligence FAQs or our medical negligence claims guide.

Why choose Slater and Gordon's surgery negligence solicitors?

Not only do we have many years' experience securing compensation for surgery negligence, we also have the utmost sensitivity to handle your case with great care.

We offer home and hospital visits and provide immediate representation and rehabilitation support. Contact us to help you understand whether or not you have a claim or call 0330 041 5869.

Can I change my solicitors to Slater and Gordon?

If you or a family member have been seriously impacted by negligent surgery, and you feel that you're not getting the specialist legal advice you need from your current solicitor, we'll be happy to discuss switching your case to Slater and Gordon. Simply call our experts on 0330 041 5869 or contact us online.