Few medical errors are as shocking—or as preventable—as wrong-site surgery. A surgeon operates on the wrong knee. A patient loses a healthy kidney instead of the diseased one. A mastectomy is performed on the wrong breast. These “never events” continue to occur in hospitals across Georgia, leaving patients with devastating, irreversible harm.
How Does Wrong-Site Surgery Happen?
Wrong-site surgery stems from breakdowns in communication and safety protocols. A surgical team might misread a chart or fail to verify the surgical site before the procedure begins. Sometimes multiple patients with similar names cause confusion. In other cases, imaging films are reversed, or pre-operative markings are overlooked.
The Universal Protocol: A Safety System Often Ignored
The Joint Commission created the Universal Protocol in 2004 specifically to prevent wrong-site, wrong-procedure, and wrong-patient surgery. This protocol requires three critical steps:
- Pre-procedure verification ensures all relevant documents and imaging studies are available and match the patient’s identity and planned procedure.
- Marking the operative site requires the surgeon to mark the surgical site while the patient is awake and can confirm the correct location.
- Taking a “time out” means the entire surgical team must pause immediately before starting surgery to verify the correct patient, procedure, and site—with everyone participating and speaking up if something seems wrong.
When hospitals and surgical teams fail to follow the Universal Protocol, they breach the standard of care and create liability for resulting injuries.
How Georgia Patients Can Protect Themselves
While you shouldn’t bear responsibility for preventing medical errors, you can advocate for your own safety:
- Speak up before surgery. Confirm with your surgeon exactly what procedure you’re having and on which body part.
- Verify site marking. Your surgeon should mark the surgical site with a permanent marker while you’re awake. Check that it’s correct.
- Ask about the “time out.” Ensure the surgical team conducts this final verification before you’re put under anesthesia.
- Bring an advocate. Have a family member or friend present to help verify information and ask questions.
Your Legal Rights After Wrong-Site Surgery
Wrong-site surgery constitutes clear medical malpractice under Georgia law. These cases involve an obvious breach of the standard of care—no reasonable surgical team following proper protocols should operate on the wrong body part.
Contact a Georgia Medical Malpractice Lawyer
Bell Law Firm represents victims of surgical errors throughout Georgia. We’ll investigate what went wrong, hold negligent providers accountable, and fight for the compensation you deserve. Contact Bell Law Firm today for a free consultation.