Upon the birth of a child, many health concerns can arise. When parents are told that their baby girl or boy is healthy, it is like music to their ears. Can you imagine what it would feel like to find out that your child went through a surgery that you not only didn’t know about, but that he didn’t need?
An out-of-state surgical error case is an example of the extreme kind of negligence that puts patients at risk. According to CNN, a doctor performed surgery on the wrong newborn child. It was not a relatively extreme surgery, but it is still unthinkable that a medical provider would perform an operation on the entirely wrong patient.
The parents of the newborn who underwent the needless surgery were shocked and worried for the future of their child when they realized he had been put through a frenulectomy. Basically, the procedure is a cutting of a portion beneath the tongue. It is a needed surgery for some children, but not this one.
This sort of hospital mistake begs questions about hospital procedure and how someone involved in the surgical procedure didn’t notice that the wrong patient was on the table. How do hospitals properly identify their patients and ensure that the correct patients are getting the care they need and that other patients aren’t being endangered?
Identifying the correct patient sounds simple enough — and it should be standard. Hospitals need to have safety protocols put in place that prevent wrong-patient care. All medical providers need to be consistently trained in those safety protocols and held accountable to them.
If you think that your doctor failed you and/or your child while in his care, talk to a medical malpractice lawyer immediately who can evaluate the details of your case.