California Medical Malpractice Law Blog

A $2.25 million jury verdict has been awarded to a man in a medical malpractice lawsuit filed against a surgery center and an anesthesiologist. According to the lawsuit, the man suffered a brain injury due to a lack of oxygen after receiving too much anesthesia during an eye surgery.

Anesthesia is a significant part of pain management. While undergoing surgery or when a patient suffers severe pain, anesthesia is a valuable tool to reduce and eliminate pain. Anesthesiologists are specially trained to administer certain drugs - its use is generally safe and effective. However, when medical errors occur causing an anesthesia injury, the results can be devastating.

Here, a man went into a surgery center to have an eye lens replaced with an artificial lens. During the surgery, the anesthesiologist allegedly left the room or failed to adequately monitor the patient. The man then had a reaction to the anesthesia and became more sedated than anticipated. He suffered a life-threatening brain injury potentially causing permanent cognitive damage. The man settled with the anesthesiologist but continued to trial against the medical center.

Continue reading "$2.25 Million Award In Anesthesia Error Case" »

A Connecticut jury awarded a 44-year-old woman $10.5 million after she was left with permanent debilitating injuries as the result of improperly administered anesthesia during surgery.

Although anesthesia is a valuable tool during surgery and to control severe patient pain, when anesthesiologists fail to properly administer the drugs, a patient can suffer devastating physical damage. The failure to administer anesthesia properly may be considered medical malpractice and the health care provider held responsible for his or her negligence.

According to the Connecticut anesthesia injury lawsuit, the woman spent 26 days in a coma after surgery and suffered nerve damage, memory loss, as well as several other psychological and neurological side effects.

Continue reading "$10.5 Million Jury Award In Anesthesia Injury Case" »

For adults and children facing surgery, anesthesia can be invaluable and in most cases safe and effective. Where an anesthesiologist fails to properly administer the drug, a patient can experience serious physical harm. In such instances, the patient may be a victim of medical malpractice. Now, recent articles are pointing to the growing concern about the effects of even the appropriate use of anesthesia on young children.

In March, the New England Journal of Medicine published a study evaluating the implications of general anesthesia on children and the potential for brain injuries. The study revealed that a growing body of evidence suggests that under certain circumstances, the use of general anesthesia may lead to cognitive problems or learning disabilities. As a result, special considerations are necessary when administering anesthetic drugs to young patients to avoid causing an anesthesia injury.

In order to address these concerns, the FDA has formed a panel to evaluate anesthesia injuries. One of the main goals of the panel is to provide better communication about the risks of injury with parents whose children are facing surgery and the need for anesthesia.

Although anesthesia is a critical component in managing pain, it is critical to determine a better understanding of exactly what risks children face, and whether the dose, age, and length of exposure affect the extent of the cognitive or neurological injury. Also, the type of potential injury children face is being examined. Dr. Randall Flick, a professor of anesthesiology and pediatrics at the Mayo Clinic is researching whether anesthesia exposure is related to autism or attention disorder.

Continue reading "Anesthesia Injuries And Young Children" »