When preparing for a surgical procedure, one of the most important steps that medical professionals must take is to ensure that the surgical instruments being used have been thoroughly cleaned and sterilized. However, many surgical instruments have sharp edges, blades, or points that can easily perforate a latex glove. As a result, the instrument can » Read More

Medical errors happen more often than you might think. In fact, it has been reported that medical errors are the third biggest killer in the United States. Over the years, advances in artificial intelligence (AI), including systems that can identify heart-attack risks and others that can recognize certain types of cancer, have helped dramatically reduce » Read More

People decide to undergo cosmetic surgery for several reasons, ranging from fixing a large or crooked nose, a desire to appear younger, thinner, or more attractive, to removing a disfiguring scar. Whatever the reason, cosmetic surgery comes with the same risks as other surgical procedures. Unfortunately, a botched cosmetic surgery can cause devastating physical and » Read More

Could something as simple as a checklist help prevent healthcare professionals from making serious medical errors? Unfortunately, medical errors happen more frequently than you might think, and some can lead to serious health complications and fatalities. More hospitals across the country are implementing the use of checklists, particularly in operating rooms, as an effective way » Read More

Like any major surgery, recovering from hip replacement surgery can be a painful process, even if there are no complications. However, when something goes wrong, and the patient experiences extreme discomfort, swelling, or develops an infection, it could mean that there was a problem with the hip replacement device used in the procedure. Unfortunately, there » Read More

In an effort to provide a lower cost alternative to having a surgical procedure performed in a hospital, federal regulators have approved a growing number of procedures to be performed at surgery centers across the country. This trend has been so successful that, since the first facility opened nearly 50 years ago, there are more » Read More

It may seem unthinkable that a qualified, experienced physician would fail to remove an eight-inch long pair of forceps from a patient after performing surgery. Unfortunately, that is exactly what happened to a patient who was admitted to Shasta Regional Medical Center in Redding, California to have a benign abdominal tumor removed. After experiencing severe » Read More

Research shows that cell phone use in operating rooms is not uncommon. In a report prepared by Kaiser Health News and the Washington Post, and published by the American Society of Anesthesiologists, medical personnel told reporters that they observed colleagues using their cell phones for things that were unrelated to the procedure taking place. Specifically, » Read More

When something goes wrong during a surgical operation, the only people who can describe what happened are those who were present in the operating room. This is usually limited to members of the medical team, who may be the very people responsible for surgical errors or negligence. However, new legislation might change this. A bill » Read More

An incidental durotomy is an unintentional small tear or puncture to the dura matter, which is the outer membrane that covers the spinal cord. These occur somewhat frequently during spinal surgical procedures, although they do not usually cause any long-term problems or permanent damage if the tear is recognized and repaired quickly. However, if a » Read More