Patients generally go into surgery with the expectation that they’re going to be taken care of by a competent team. While most surgeries are completed without any issues, there are times when things happen that, quite simply, shouldn’t.
These issues that shouldn’t happen are called “never events.” The commonality in these situations is that all of these events could be prevented if surgical teams follow proper protocol. For example, the following are three never events that can lead to considerable patient harm.
Wrong-site surgery
One of the most critical types of never events is wrong-site surgery. This occurs when a procedure is performed on the incorrect part of the body. For instance, a surgeon might operate on the left knee instead of the right. This mistake can result from various factors, including miscommunication among the surgical team, errors in the patient’s medical records or even simple oversights during preoperative preparations.
To prevent wrong-site surgery, hospitals implement protocols like the “time-out” procedure. This is when the surgical team pauses before starting the operation to verify the patient’s identity, the correct site and the planned procedure.
Retained surgical instruments
Another catastrophic never event is the retention of surgical instruments inside a patient’s body after the procedure. This can include sponges, needles or even surgical tools. These incidents can lead to severe complications, including infections, internal injuries and the need for additional surgeries to remove the retained items.
Preventing retained surgical instruments involves meticulous counting procedures before, during, and after surgery to ensure all instruments and materials are accounted for. Technological solutions like radiofrequency identification (RFID) tags on surgical items are also being employed to enhance tracking and prevent such errors.
Wrong-patient surgery
Wrong-patient surgery occurs when a surgical procedure is performed on the wrong individual. This can happen due to misidentification of patients, incorrect medical records or administrative errors. The consequences are dire because the intended patient doesn’t receive the necessary treatment, and the wrong patient undergoes an unnecessary procedure.
To mitigate the risk of wrong-patient surgery, comprehensive identification protocols are essential. These include verifying the patient’s identity through multiple checks, such as wristbands, verbal confirmation and cross-referencing medical records.
Patients who experience surgical never events can suffer serious medical problems that require intensive treatment. They may opt to pursue a compensation claim, but the time to do this is limited. Working with a legal representative may help them to get their case prepared and filed on time.