Our source article for today’s blog post tells a tragic story of a nine-year-old girl who died mere hours after a routine tonsillectomy. Given that more than 530,000 children have their tonsils removed every year in the United States, this story will certainly concern parents all across Iowa and, indeed, the entire country.
The girl was only supposed to be in surgery for about 40 minutes. But it soon carried into a two-hour operation. The surgeons eventually released the girl to her family and they went home, but the girl complained that she wasn’t feeling well. Sadly, she died soon thereafter. The girl’s family is considering a lawsuit against the facility and the staff that performed the surgery.
It has since been discovered that the surgery took longer because she had a previously unknown heart condition and an obstructed airway. However, the staff on hand gave the girl an inappropriate amount of anesthesia and it was also discovered that the staff rushed to clear her so they could get her out of the facility.
These circumstances aren’t common — but they happen frequently enough that innocent people are harmed or killed, and families are forever affected by it. Medical malpractice and negligent medical practices are unacceptable, and the victims of these unfortunate circumstances deserve justice.
As well-prepared and trained as a surgeon, nurse or doctor may be, they are always susceptible to mistakes. They are only human, after all. No one is perfect. So when a mistake is made in a medical context. it is imperative for the victim and/or the victim’s loved ones to consider their legal position.
Source: National Law Review, “Routine Tonsillectomy Demonstrates How Errors Can Impact Routine Procedures,” March 27, 2017