When "Routine" Surgery Goes Horribly Wrong

As you enter the operating room, you likely don't think about the possible negative outcomes that could result from your surgical procedure. The only thing you're probably thinking about is drifting off to sleep and how you’ll feel when you wake up in the recovery room.

Unfortunately, there are a few ways that a routine surgery can go wrong, including not waking up from anesthesia and having the wrong area of your body operated on.

Wisdom Teeth

This is a surgery that is fairly routine for most teenagers and even some adults. Those pesky teeth that tend to cause significant pain in the back of your mouth that usually don't serve a purpose in the first place often need to be surgically removed. It typically only takes a short time for an oral surgeon to remove these teeth, but if the roots invade your sinus cavity or grow into the nerves in your jaw, then the surgery could get a bit more complex.

In rare instances, the nerves can be damaged to the point that you won't be able to smell or taste as you did before surgery. A blood clot could form, or an infection could occur that spreads to other areas of your body. Although rare, death can occur from having your wisdom teeth removed.

Tonsils

This is another common procedure that is often performed on young children. You really don't need your tonsils, and if you get frequent sore throats or other infections, then the best option might be to remove them.

Since the tonsils are connected to a few of the major arteries in your neck, it's possible that you could die during surgery if the doctor cuts one of them accidentally.

Here are a few other ways that the surgery could go wrong:

• Infection
• Nausea and vomiting
• Changes to your voice or how you eat

Circumcision

If you have a baby boy, then you might want to have him circumcised. As an older man, you might want to have the surgery performed if it wasn't done when you were a baby because of religious beliefs or because of the appearance.

Circumcision is widely practiced in the U.S. and should be a simple procedure with few complications. However, sometimes the bleeding won't stop as it should. The penis could be left disfigured. Prolonged pain and infection might also occur.

Appendectomy

One day you might have severe pain in your side that gets worse over time. This is usually associated with your appendix. If you don't have surgery to remove the organ, then it could rupture. This is yet another part of your body that isn't needed but that could cause significant harm when it's removed.

If it ruptures, an infection could spread through your body. This could cause sepsis. Antibiotics would need to be administered soon after, but they might not work, resulting in paralysis, a coma, or death.

Rhinoplasty

Whether you want to look better or you have issues with your nose that impact your breathing, rhinoplasty might seem like a routine surgery. You might experience significant bleeding during and after surgery because of the number of vessels that are present in the nose. Think of the amount of blood that you sometimes lose when your nose starts bleeding at home.

Additionally, tears could occur during surgery that could impact your sinuses or how you smell. In severe situations, your nose could collapse due to a lack of support or due to the condition of the bones of your nose.

If you’re concerned about adverse side effects after surgery, ask your attorney to look into the surgical procedure that you or your child had in order to file a claim. You may be able to obtain a settlement to cover your medical bills. According to Long Island personal injury lawyers, if your doctor failed to meet the accepted standard of care, you could be suffering as a result of medical malpractice.