My husband has suffered a lifelong battle against obesity, high blood pressure, and more recently, diabetes. Following drastic worsening of his circulation due to the aforementioned conditions, his doctors and surgeons recommended what is known as a lower extremity amputation to relieve what was described as life threatening vascular complications. Following the procedure, and upon learning further information from other healthcare professionals, the real possibility of not only saving my husband’s leg, but also, undergoing a much less invasive and safer procedure known as revascularization to reestablish blood supply was acknowledged as an alternative, albeit unknown at the time, option. Can I file suit against the original medical team involved in advising the unnecessary amputation of my husband’s leg?




Answer:
Though seemingly outrageous at first thought, unnecessary or wrong site amputations are a very real threat to any patient under medical care, especially emergency medical treatments, which may entail rash decision making on behalf of medical professionals. As a patient, especially involving cases of non-traumatic amputation, all options should be understood, including the risks and rewards of each medical option.
Medical professionals, in order to provide a standard duty of care, must advise patients of this information in an understandable and clear manner. If a patient undergoes a procedure without fully understanding the alternatives and other options, they may have a legitimate claims case to make against the overseeing healthcare providers.
It should be understood that all claims are case specific, especially those involving complex medical procedures, and only an attorney is truly qualified to address your specific inquiry. By speaking with a medical malpractice attorney, who may have previously handled wrong site or unnecessary amputation cases, the reality of filing a successful claims case against negligent parties is possible.
Talk to a Medical Malpractice Lawyer for a free consultation where you can get legal advice regarding your situation.
Good luck.
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Posted by Greg Cohoat on 06 May 2010