When a doctor makes a mistake, it can result in a serious health problem or even death.

What are preventable transplant errors?

On Behalf of | Aug 16, 2018 | Surgical Errors |

Washington residents who need organ transplants are aware of the fact that these operations are very intensive. The recovery period afterward can be a long and difficult road, too. However, there are certainly some things that can make recovery harder, such as errors or mistakes that could have been prevented.

The National Institutes of Health have shown that errors do happen during organ transplant surgery, and sometimes these errors can be fatal. For example, there have been multiple cases in which HIV or HVC were transmitted through organ transplants. There has also been at least one death due to ABO incompatibility. These cases have all been connected to errors that could have been prevented, such as a redundant process for receiving organs or a lack of standardization. Human error on the part of the staff also plays a role.

The system of care can contribute to these issues, too. For example, mistakes made when assessing the level of care a patient needs can lead to you getting less care than is necessary. This can cause post-operative issues to go undiagnosed long enough to cause health problems. Early warning signs of rejection or other issues might even be missed, though these cases are not very common.

If you went through an organ transplant surgery and found yourself suffering from unintended side effects and poor health, you may wish to survey your legal options. Legal compensation can help you on your road to recovery, especially if you end up needing more surgeries to right the damage done.