Surgical Complications Indicating Possible Malpractice

Name of Procedure Risks

Adenoidectomy

* Bleeding
* Nasal speech
* Nasal regurgitation of food or liquids

Anesthesia, general

* Abnormal reaction to drugs
* Injury to vocal cords or throat
* Injury to teeth, lips, and tongue
* Brain damage
* Malignant hyperthermia

Angiography, cerebral

* Injury to the arteries entered
* Bleeding at the site of entry by catheter
* Stroke
* Blindness or brain damage
* Emboli to the brain
* Allergic reaction to the injected contrast medium

Angiography, coronary

* Injury to the artery
* Damage to heart
* Mocardial infarction
* Possible need for open heart surgery
* Irregular heartbeat
* Bleeding at the site of entrance
* Allergic reaction to injected contrast medium

Angioplasty

* Paraplegia
* Loss of extremity
* Bowel infarction
* Renal failure

Aortic Dissection

* Stroke
* Renal failure
* Bowel infarction
* Paraplegia
* Death

Aortic Graft

* Bleeding or Infection
* Infection or emboli
* Kidney failure or loss of limb
* Inadequate blood to bowel or spinal cord
* Myocardial infarction
* Sexual dysfunction
* Death

Appendectomy

* Infection
* Bleeding
* Intra-abdominal abscess
* Leakage from the colon requiring colostomy
* Hernia in the incision

Arteriovenous Shunt for Hemodialysis

* Bleeding or infection
* Damage blood vessel with risk of rupture
* Recurrent thrombosis
* Severe edema of extremity
* Inadequate blood supply to extremity
* Inadequate blood supply to nerves

Birth of child

* Injury to bladder
* Injury to rectum
* Fistula between vagina and rectum
* Hemorrhage possibly requiring hysterectomy
* Brain damage to fetus

Blood Transfusion

* Fever
* Kidney failure
* Heart failure
* Hepatitis
* AIDS

Breast Augmentation

* Risks of use of silicon gel are excluded
* Scar formation around implant causing hard breast
* Deflation of implant
* Loss of sensation to the nipple and breast
* Persistent pain in breast
* Distortion of breast mound
* Leakage of implant contents

Breast Biopsy, Excisional

* Infection and/or blood clot
* Failure to obtain accurate diagnosis
* Disfiguring scar
* Failure to locate and remove abnormality

Cardiopulmonary Bypass

* Stroke
* Respiratory complications
* Kidney failure
* Death

Carotid Endarterectomy

* Blood clots
* Infection
* Stroke
* Nerve injury causing mouth, throat, or tongue problems
* Myocardial infarction
* Death

Cataract Surgery

* Loss of vision or decrease in vision
* Loss of eye
* Bleeding inside or behind eye
* Painful eye
* Droopy eyelid

Catheterization, central venous

* Hemorrhage into chest cavity or elsewhere
* Pericardial tamponade (compression of heart)
* Cardiac arrest or stroke
* Collapse of lung
* Damage to blood vessels
* Infusion of fluid into chest cavity

Cervix, Removal

* Uncontrollable leakage of urine
* Injury to the bladder
* Injury to the bowel or intestinal obstruction
* Injury to the urethra
* Sterility
* Pulmonary embolism

Cholecystectomy

* Pancreatitis
* Injury to the bile duct
* Retained stones in the bile duct
* Narrowing of the bile duct
* Injury to the bowel

Coarctation of Aorta

* Quadriplegia or paraplegia
* Permanent hoarseness
* Leakage of body fluid from intestines into chest
* Loss of bowel and/or bladder function
* Impotence in males

Colon Surgery

* Infection of the incision
* Intra-abdominal abscess
* Leakage from colon and possible colostomy
* Injury to other organs or blood vessels
* Diarrhea, sometimes permanent
* Formation of scar tissue causing intestinal blockage
* Hernia in incision

Colonoscopy

* Infection or bleeding
* Perforation of colon or rectal wall
* Cardiac arrhythmias

Dental Implants

* Infection, bleeding, failure to heal
* Permanent and disfiguring scarring
* Premature loss of implant, or mobility
* Loss of bone
* Numbness of face or mouth
* Fracture of jaw
* Injury to adjacent teeth or sinus

Dilation and Curettage

* Hemorrhage with possible hysterectomy
* Perforation of the uterus
* Injury to the bowel or bladder
* Sterility

Ear Tubes

* Persistent infection
* Perforation of eardrum or cyst behind the eardrum
* Need to surgically remove tubes

Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio Pancreatogram (ERCP)

* Infection
* Perforation of esophagus, stomach, or intestines
* Cardiac arrhythmias
* Pancreatic inflammation

Endoscopy, abdominal

* Puncture of the bowel or blood vessel
* Abdominal infection
* Operation to correct injury
* Injury to urethra
* Injury to bladder

Epidural, spinal

* Abnormal reaction to drugs
* Leakage of cerebrospinal fluid
* Epidural blood clot or abscess
* Broken needles or catheters
* Incomplete analgesia
* Back pain and/or paralysis
* Severe headaches

Femoral Bypass Grafts

* Bleeding requiring re-operation
* Necrosis of skin around incision
* Thrombi or emboli
* Limb loss
* Nerve damage
* Myocardial infarction
* Death

Fibroid Removal (Uterine myomectomy)

* Uncontrollable leakage of urine
* Injury to bladder
* Injury to the urethra
* Injury to the bowel and/or intestinal obstruction
* Sterility
* Pulmonary embolism

Gastrectomy or Phloroplasty

* Infection of incision or inside abdomen
* Bleeding requiring transfusion
* Leakage from stomach
* Inability to maintain weight
* Chronic vomiting after eating
* Diarrhea and need for vitamin B-12 injections
* Recurrence of condition for which surgery was done

Hemodialysis

* Hypotension, hemorrhage, sepsis, cardiac arrhythmias
* Allergic reaction to tubing and dialyzer
* Pulmonary edema
* Air bubbles in the bloodstream
* Seizure, hypothermia, fever
* Viral infections such as HIV
* Cardiac arrest

Hemorrhoidectomy

* Bleeding
* Post operative pain, especially with bowel movements
* Temporary/permanent difficulty controlling bowels or gas
* Recurrence of hemorrhoids
* Narrowing of anal opening requiring repeated dilations

Hernia Repair

* Infection
* Bleeding
* Recurrence of hernia
* Injury to or loss of testicle or spermatic cords
* Nerve injury resulting in numbness or chronic pain

Hysterectomy, abdominal or vaginal

* Uncontrollable leakage of urine
* Injury to bladder
* Injury to urethra
* Injury to the bowel and/or intestinal obstruction
* Painful intercourse
* Ovarian failure requiring hormone administration
* Formation of fistula between vagina and rectum

Kidney Stone Lithotripsy

* Bleeding in or around kidney
* Obstruction of kidney by stone particles
* Failure to completely fragment stones
* High blood pressure
* Loss of kidney

Liver Biopsy

* Bleeding
* Lung collapse
* Internal leakage of bile
* Puncture of other organs

Lumpectomy

* Infection or blood clot
* Disfiguring scar
* Fluid collection in arm pit
* Numbness to arm
* Swelling of arm
* Damage to nerves of arm or chest
* Recurrence of cancer

Mastectomy, radical

* Limitation of movement of shoulder or arm
* Swelling of the arm
* Loss of skin requiring graft
* Failure to eradicate the malignancy
* Injury to major blood vessel

Oral Surgery

* Infection, bleeding, failure to heal
* Injury to adjacent teeth
* Numbness of face and/or mouth
* Fracture of either jaw
* Opening between mouth and sinus or nose
* Tooth fragment in sinus
* Dry socket

Penile Implant

* Bleeding and infection
* Penile pain or numbness
* Injury to bladder or urethra
* Problems with implantable prosthetic

Prostatectomy

* Bleeding and/or infection
* Injury to bladder, urethra, or rectum
* Impotence
* Retrograde ejaculation
* Bladder blockage
* Incontinence

Radial Keratotomy

* Loss of vision or decrease in vision
* Loss of eye
* Variable vision
* Radiating images around lights
* Over or under correction
* Cataract formation
* Retained need for glasses

Radiation Therapy, Head/neck – Initial Reaction

* Altered sense of smell, taste, or nausea
* Difficulty swallowing, weight loss, fatigue
* Hoarseness, cough, loss of voice
* Hearing loss, dizziness
* Dry and irritable eyes
* Increased risk of infection and/or bleeding
* Intensified by chemotherapy

Radiation Therapy, head/neck – Late Reaction

* Tooth decay and gum changes
* Bone damage in jaws
* Hair loss, scarring of skin
* Swelling of tissues under chin
* Brain, spinal cord or nerve damage
* Pituitary or thyroid gland damage
* Second cancers developing

Radiation Therapy, Thorax – Initial Reaction

* Skin changes, hair loss on the chest
* Inflammation of the esophagus, heart sac, or lungs
* Bleeding or fistula from tumor destruction
* Intermittent electric shock-like feeling in the lower body
* Increased risk of infection or bleeding
* Intensified by chemotherapy

Radiation Therapy, Thorax – Late Reaction

* Changes in skin texture, scarring, hair loss
* Lung scarring or shrinkage
* Narrowing of esophagus
* Constriction of heart sac
* Damage to heart muscle or arteries
* Fracture of ribs
* Spinal cord or liver damage

Radical Mastectomy

* Limitation of shoulder or arm movement
* Swelling of the arm
* Loss of the skin of the chest
* Failure to completely eradicate the malignancy
* Decreased sensation or numbness
* Injury to major blood vessels

Renal Biopsy

* Injury to adjacent organs
* Infection
* Hypotension
* Bleeding from the kidney
* Intestinal perforation