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Hip replacement surgery, doc left a part inside by mistake…. Malpractice?

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October 12, 2024, 02:57 PM
Gustofer
Hip replacement surgery, doc left a part inside by mistake…. Malpractice?
I find it nearly impossible to believe that he "didn't even know it until the two week check up", as multiple intra-op films are done during the procedure, and a post-op film is done to assure the measurements are equal in both hips when hip replacements are done. To think that he, the rep, the nurses, the scrubs, the XRay tech, and the radiologist, all missed a screw that shouldn't be there, just doesn't make sense. I think there's more to this than just inadvertently leaving a screw in there.


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"Great danger lies in the notion that we can reason with evil." Doug Patton.
October 14, 2024, 12:49 AM
mike28w
quote:
Originally posted by Gustofer:
I find it nearly impossible to believe that he "didn't even know it until the two week check up", as multiple intra-op films are done during the procedure, and a post-op film is done to assure the measurements are equal in both hips when hip replacements are done. To think that he, the rep, the nurses, the scrubs, the XRay tech, and the radiologist, all missed a screw that shouldn't be there, just doesn't make sense. I think there's more to this than just inadvertently leaving a screw in there.


You make a good point....hard to imagine that everyone missed it in the post-op Xrays....
October 14, 2024, 04:57 AM
12131
^^^^ Sure, there's always more to the story, but fact is, that screw was left inside her that's not supposed to be. People screw up. The entire team screwed up, and I can easily think of reasons why. "Nearly impossible" doesn't mean impossible. Cases of retained surgical instruments have been documented.


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October 14, 2024, 07:57 AM
TBH
I thought they had a system of counting and verification of all items used.
One thing that would tick me off is it’s double the risk of infection.
Pain, suffering, and added time healing definitely would have me looking for a lawyer.

Good luck!


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October 14, 2024, 08:11 AM
12131
quote:
Originally posted by TBH:
I thought they had a system of counting and verification of all items used....

Sure, the safeguards are there, but, when humans are involved, there is always room for error.

Retained Surgical Items: Definition and Epidemiology


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