In the United States, anesthesia negligence is a common cause of injury. Anesthesia must be administered by either a medical doctor, called an anesthesiologist or an advanced practice nurse anesthecist (APRN.) These highly trained professionals provide service for over 60,000 operations a day in the United States and most of them are accomplished without any complications. Unfortunately, anesthesiologists and anesthecists sometimes make mistakes that cause extreme pain, long term health problems or even death for a patient. In such cases, it’s important for patients and their families to investigate what happened during the surgery to determine whether they may be entitled to compensation for their medical costs, lost earnings, pain, suffering and mental anguish. The best way to find out if you’ve been a victim of anesthesia malpractice is to speak to an experienced anesthesia malpractice attorney that knows how to investigate and prosecute this type of case. Call (800) 767-8040 for a free consultation[1] to determine whether you’re entitled to compensation.

The Horror of Anesthesia Awareness

When a patient becomes aware of their surroundings while under general anesthesia during surgery, it’s called “anesthesia awareness” or “intraoperative awareness.” When this happens, the patient is unable to alert their aesthesiologist or anestecist due to drugs that are administered prior to general anesthesia that induce temporary paralysis to prevent a person from causing harm to themselves by moving during surgery. When this happens, the patient is often able to see the surgeons operating on them, the tools they are using and the blood that accumulates and drains. In some cases the patient will experience not only awareness of the surgery, but the pain of the incision and other aspects of their procedure without being able to call out for help. After the surgery is completed, many victims experience severe post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) symptoms such as insomnia, flashbacks, nightmares and paranoia, making it difficult or impossible to return to their vocation and family responsibilities.  Anesthesia awareness can be prevented when anesthiologists and anesthetists use the proper standard of care. Mistakes that lead to anesthesia awareness are usually caused by:

• Distracted monitoring;
• Improper dosage of medication;
• Inattention to maintenance of vaporisers;
• Lack of familiarity with technique;
• Inadequate training and
• Machine malfunction.

A victim of anesthesia awareness can suffer from lifelong severe pyschological problems that impact their career and family life. That’s why it’s important to contact an experienced New York City anesthesia mistakes attorney to investigate whether you’re entitled to compensation.

Wrongful Death Due to Anesthesia Mistakes

General anesthesia enables practitioners to undertake lengthy lifesaving surgeries that would be impossible without it and are safe when properly administered by a trained and competent anesthesiologist or anestecist. Practitioners have a responsibility to ensure that patients do not feel any pain during their procedure while ensuring that their vital functions are not slowed down so much that their life is threatened. This requires a thorough understanding of the patient’s medical history, current condition and the surgical procedure that’s being performed. When practitioners are poorly trained or make mistakes, injury or even death can result. These are the most common causes of wrongful death due to anesthesia malpractice:

• Allergic reaction due to failure to read chart;
• Improper dosage of anesthetic – too much or too little;
• Failure to properly intubate patient, causing breathing problems or airway obstructions;
• Defective medical devices;
• Drug interactions;
• Failure to properly monitor oxygen levels and vital signs and
• Failure to properly administer oxygen during a surgical procedure.

Too much anesthetic can cause the patient to go into a coma, suffer a brain injury or die. It’s not easy to distinguish between the normal risks of anesthesia/surgery being performed and malpractice on the part of anesthiologists, anesthecists and surgeons. That’s why it’s important to get help from an experienced New York City anesthesia malpractice attorney that will thoroughly investigate the matter to determine if negligence was occurred.

Injuries Caused by Anesthesia Mistakes

In addition to the horror of anesthesia awareness and an untimely death, there many other types of harm that can be caused by anesthesia mistakes. These are some of the catastrophic injuries that cause be caused by negligence in administering anesthesia:

• Nerve damage;
• Stroke;
• Heart Attack;
• Brain Injury;
• Spinal Cord Injury;
• Prolonged Coma and
• Vegetative State.

Catastrophic injuries can prevent a person from working for a long period of time or even permanently and medical bills can pile up quickly. That’s why it’s important to investigate whether the injury could have been prevented with proper care.

Compensation For Victims of Anesthesia Malpractice

If anesthesia awareness, death or a serious injury could have been prevented, you may be entitled to compensation from the negligent anesthesia practitioner, the surgeon, the facility where the surgery was performed and/or the manufacturer of the medical device used during your surgery. These are the types of monetary compensation that are available to victims:

• Past, current and future medical care;
• Lost past, current and future earnings from employment or business;
• Cost of long term care and rehabilitation;
• Accommodations to home and vehicle;
• Pain, suffering and mental anguish;
• Lost enjoyment of life and
• Burial expenses.

In order to collect the largest possible amount of monetary compensation, it’s important to hire an experienced New York City anesthesia malpractice attorney that knows how to maximize the value of your case.

New York City Anesthesia Malpractice Attorney

Anesthesia malpractice is rare, but it’s impact can be severe. That’s why it’s important to investigate whether the practitioners used proper care when a patient suffers anesthesia awareness, severe injuries or death from anesthesia. An experienced New York City anesthesia malpractice attorney can help you determine whether the practitioners used proper care and prosecute your case aggressively to help you collect what you’re entitled to. Call (800) 767-8040 for a free consultation to determine whether you’re entitled to compensation.