Tools Left in the Body after Surgery

When you undergo an operation, you are entrusting your health and safety to your surgeon and his or her medical team in the hopes that the surgery will leave you healthier than you were before the operation. However, more than 1,500 Americans each year suffer from tools left in the body after surgery. This mistake can leave you with infections and the need for even more surgery.

Surgeons should not be careless with the instruments they use to perform surgery. If you or someone you know has suffered from a tool left in the body after surgery, you should talk to a medical malpractice attorney about your case. For more information, call a Philadelphia personal injury lawyer from Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C. today at 215-238-1130.

Risk Factors

Doctors use a wide variety of tools when they perform operations. Sponges, clamps, knives, needles, and scalpels are but a few of the instruments necessary in most surgeries. However, despite the number of instruments needed, surgeons should not carelessly misplace or leave tools in your body. There are some things that can increase your risk for this, including:

• Being overweight or obese
• Undergoing emergency surgery
• Having a change in your surgical plan during the operation

Additionally, the most common place for lost tools is the abdominal cavity, followed by the thoracic cavity. Sponges are the most frequently lost, which is especially dangerous because they are undetectable by x-ray unless they are special, x-ray visible sponges.

Contact Us

Surgeries are worrisome enough without you having to be concerned about a tool left in your body after the process. If you have had a tool left in your body after surgery, contact the Philadelphia personal injury lawyers from Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C. at 215-238-1130 today.