When you have surgery or undergo a procedure that requires sedation, you place enormous trust in your healthcare providers to ensure that you remain safe and free from pain. However, anesthesia errors happen more often than most people realize, and they can result in fatal or life-altering injuries.
If an anesthesia error has injured you or your loved one, you may be entitled to recover significant compensation with the help of a medical malpractice attorney in Fort Lauderdale. However, cases of anesthesia error are complex and challenging to prove. You need the assistance of an experienced Fort Lauderdale anesthesia error lawyer to identify all causes and liable parties and help you secure the compensation you are entitled to.
At Rosen Injury Law, our Fort Lauderdale anesthesia error lawyers have recovered over $125 million for our clients, and we want to help you secure maximum compensation for your damages. Call (954) 787-1500 or visit our contact page to schedule a free consultation to discuss your claim.
How Anesthesia Errors Happen
Anesthesia uses medications to prevent pain during surgery and other medical procedures. There are four main types of anesthesia. They are general, regional, local, and monitored anesthesia.
General anesthesia is the most complete and complex form of anesthesia, as it renders a patient completely unconscious. When a patient is under general anesthesia, they should be unable to feel pain anywhere in their body.
Regional anesthesia blocks sensation in a specific region of the body while the patient remains conscious or lightly sedated. This includes spinal anesthesia (injected into the spinal fluid), epidural anesthesia (injected near the spinal cord), and nerve blocks for specific limbs or areas.
Local anesthesia numbs only a small, specific area where a minor procedure will be performed, and patients remain fully awake.
Monitored anesthesia, which is also called conscious sedation, administers sedatives to relax patients, but they remain responsive. This type of anesthesia is often used in procedures such as colonoscopies and dental work.
All types of anesthesia require careful consideration and analysis of a patient’s medical history, current medications, allergies, and health conditions. The anesthesiologist or nurse anesthetist must calculate precise dosages based on the patient’s weight, age, and medical conditions, then continuously monitor the patient’s vital signs throughout the procedure to help ensure the patient’s safety.
Common Types of Anesthesia Errors
Anesthesia errors can occur at multiple points during the medical procedure process, including misdiagnosis, pre-operative evaluation, and post-operative recovery. Too little anesthesia can result in patients waking up during surgery and experiencing pain while unable to move or communicate.
Inadequate patient monitoring is a frequent cause of preventable complications. Anesthesia professionals must continuously watch vital signs, including oxygen saturation, heart rate and rhythm, blood pressure, breathing rate and depth, and brain activity. Failure to properly monitor these signs or respond quickly to concerning changes can lead to devastating outcomes.
Intubation errors occur when breathing tubes are inserted improperly or when the wrong-sized tube is used. This can result in airway damage, impaired oxygenation, or aspiration of stomach contents into the lungs. Delayed or failed intubation in emergencies can cause brain damage within minutes.
Drug interaction errors happen when anesthesia medications interact dangerously with the patient’s existing prescriptions. Certain combinations can cause dangerous drops in blood pressure, heart rhythm disturbances, or enhanced effects leading to overdose.
Communication failures among the surgical team can prevent critical information from being shared. Anesthesiologists may not communicate important patient information to nurses and surgical staff, or crucial changes in the patient’s condition during surgery may not be adequately conveyed.
Anesthesia Error Injuries
The injuries resulting from anesthesia errors can be severe and life-altering. Brain damage from oxygen deprivation is among the most catastrophic injuries. Even brief periods without adequate oxygen can cause permanent cognitive impairment, memory loss, difficulty with reasoning and problem-solving, and personality changes.
Anesthetic awareness, while not physically harmful, causes profound psychological trauma. Patients who wake during surgery often develop post-traumatic stress disorder, severe anxiety and panic attacks, depression, and lasting fear of medical procedures.
Nerve damage can occur from improperly administered regional anesthesia or from positioning errors during surgery while under general anesthesia. Victims may experience chronic pain, loss of sensation, weakness or paralysis, and permanent disability affecting mobility and quality of life.
Cardiac complications from anesthesia errors include heart attacks, dangerous arrhythmias, cardiac arrest, and permanent heart damage requiring ongoing treatment or even heart transplantation in extreme cases.
Respiratory failure and lung damage can result from aspiration, improper ventilation, or airway trauma during intubation. Stroke caused by blood pressure fluctuations or blood clots can lead to paralysis, speech impairment, cognitive deficits, and permanent disability.
In the worst cases, anesthesia errors are fatal. Families left behind face not only devastating grief but also the loss of financial support and companionship. Contact a wrongful death attorney in Fort Lauderdale to review your case.
Liability in Anesthesia Error Claims
Anesthesia malpractice claims require proving the four elements of medical negligence. First, you must establish that a duty of care existed. This duty arises from the professional relationship between the anesthesia provider and patient. When an anesthesiologist or nurse anesthetist accepts responsibility for your anesthesia care, they assume a duty to provide care consistent with accepted medical standards.
Second, you must prove a breach of that duty by demonstrating that the anesthesia provider’s actions fell below the standard of care. This means showing that a reasonably competent anesthesia professional, facing the same circumstances, would not have made the same error. Expert testimony from respected anesthesiologists is typically essential to establish the required standard of care and how it was violated.
Third, you must prove that the breach of duty directly caused your injuries. This can be complex when patients have pre-existing conditions or multiple medical interventions. Medical experts must analyze the timeline and medical records to show that your injuries would not have occurred but for the anesthesia error.
Florida law requires plaintiffs to obtain a verified written medical expert opinion before filing a medical malpractice lawsuit, confirming that the healthcare provider negligently caused harm. Our Fort Lauderdale personal injury lawyers work with leading medical experts who can provide authoritative opinions supporting your claim.
Schedule a Free Consultation With Rosen Injury Law Today
If an anesthesia error has injured you or a loved one, we want to help you. At Rosen Injury Law, our Fort Lauderdale anesthesia error lawyers have the skills, experience, and resources to protect your rights, build your strongest case, and assist you in securing maximum compensation for your damages.
Call (954) 787-1500 or visit our contact page and schedule a free consultation to discuss your claim.