If you are going in for surgery, it means you have a medical need, and operating may be the only way to effectively resolve the issue or mitigate the consequences. Any type of surgical procedure is a major event, and if something goes wrong, it has the potential to have devastating consequences on your life. This is why it’s important to ask certain questions and prepare well for the procedure.
Your Texas doctor owes you a certain duty of care when you are preparing for surgery, during the procedure and after it’s complete. Failure to provide care that meets a certain standard could result in complications for you, including the potential for additional pain and suffering, infection, prolonged hospital stays and more. If you believe that a surgical error, lack of information or poor post-operative care caused you harm, you could have grounds for a malpractice claim.
Important questions
There are certain questions you can ask that will allow you to be well-informed about your surgery and help you understand the procedure. Knowing as much as possible can help you feel more confident, and it can allow you to understand potential risks. These questions are:
- What is the exact procedure? You have the right to know exactly what type of surgery you will have, what it involves and what will happen when you are under the knife. It’s important to know what the doctor plans to do.
- What are the risks? There are at least some risks involved with virtually any type of medical procedure. You have the right to know what these are and what you should expect during the recovery period.
- How much will I spend? It is important to determine whether the procedure is covered by insurance, and if it’s not or some of it is not, what you can expect to pay out of pocket.
Asking these questions and others can help you avoid complications and unpleasant surprises after your surgery. If you suspect something went wrong, you have the right to seek an evaluation of your case.
Victim of a surgical error?
If you are dealing with an unexpectedly complicated recovery, additional pain and the potential for additional corrective surgery, you could be the victim of a surgical error. It may not be immediately apparent what the problem is or what you should do about it, but you may want to speak with an experienced attorney regarding your legal options. An assessment of your case could reveal that you have grounds for a medical malpractice claim.