Bypass surgery is performed on patients who have blocked arteries with the hope of opening up blood flow back to the heart muscle. Conditions like coronary artery disease can lead to pain in the chest area and a weakened blood flow that makes it so the heart cannot function effectively. Coronary bypass surgery is often utilized to reduce the risks of heart attack; stroke and death caused by coronary artery disease and allow the patient’s blood to flow around the blocked artery. Since the surgery is very invasive, the risks associated with it are relatively high, but if an error in the surgery is a result of the physician’s negligence, a medical malpractice claim is warranted.
How the Surgery Is Performed
Coronary bypass surgery usually involves the bypassing of more than one artery and usually takes somewhere between three to six hours, during which you are put under general anesthesia. A large incision is made in the chest to expose the heart and the heartbeat is shortly stopped so the blood flow can be redirected through a special pump. A blood vessel in good condition is then taken from somewhere else in the body (often the upper leg) and used to bypass around the area where the artery is narrowed or blocked. Major recovery from surgery can take anywhere from four to six weeks in most cases, but it can take several months for full recovery to be achieved.
Possible Errors in Surgery
Errors in the bypass surgery are can occur at any time during the process and can be extremely dangerous. Some of the possible complications from an error in surgery include:
- Bleeding
- Arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat)
- Kidney and/or other organ failure
- Chest wound infections
- Memory loss or blurred thought process
- Stroke
- Heart Attack
- Death
Negligence and Medical Malpractice
A negligent error committed by the physician during coronary bypass surgery can cause serious and even lethal consequences. If it can be proven that injury was caused by an error during surgery, the physician can be charged with medical malpractice and a lawsuit should be filed. It is the physician’s duty to uphold an honorable standard of patient care and their negligence can cause injury to future patients if they are left unchecked.
Getting Legal Help
If you or a loved one was injured by a coronary bypass surgery, then it is crucial to your situation that you contact an experienced attorney who can assist you in filing a claim and getting the medical treatments needed to cope and possibly correct the error. An attorney will be able to represent you during the litigation process and help you recoup on the damages you were caused by the surgical error.
