Many people are understandably apprehensive about surgery. Family members in the waiting room generally breathe a sigh of relief when the doctor comes out to advise that the procedure has been completed and the patient is in recovery. Unfortunately, that relief may be premature. Post-surgical complications can be serious—even fatal—and are more common than you may believe.
A study published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons revealed that more than 11% of general surgery patients studied were readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of post-surgical discharge. Also, surgical complications increased the median length of the patient’s hospital stay. A single complication nearly doubled the median stay, from five days to nine. Patients with three or more complications had a median hospital stay of 24 days.
Although the risk of death from surgical complications is low, the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) attributes 2,768 deaths in a year to medical and surgical complications. The risk increases significantly with age: more than 63% of those deaths occurred in patients aged 65 or older.
Most Common Causes of Post-Surgical Readmission
According to the same study of post-surgical patients referenced above, the two most common reasons for readmission within 30 days of discharge are gastrointestinal complications and surgical infections. These two causes accounted for nearly half of post-surgical readmissions.
Risk Factors for Post-Surgical Complications
Many factors combine to determine just how risky surgery is for a patient, and how likely he or she is to experience serious post-surgical complications. These include the patient’s age, the patient’s overall health, underlying medical conditions, and the nature of the surgery performed.
However, an extensive 2015 study by ProPublica uncovered another risk factor that many surgical patients don’t take into account: the surgeon. While many patients consider the reputation of a hospital, the ProPublica analysis revealed that surgical complication rates varied significantly by physicians, even within the same hospital. Just 11% of physicians studied accounted for 25% of complications, and in many cases practicing surgeons had complication rates many times as high as their colleagues in the same specialty or at the same hospital.
Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) Negligence
Monitoring in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) can be essential to favorable surgical outcomes.
Complications associated with anesthesia may include:
- Allergic reactions
- Respiratory depression
- Blood clots
- Stroke
- Heart attack
Fortunately, serious complications are the exception and not the rule. However, failure to monitor vital signs and other patient-specific issues in the PACU can cause lasting harm or even death.
Respiratory Depression or Failure in Post-Surgical Patients
While there are many possible complications for a patient who has undergone general anesthesia and is recovering from surgery, one of the most serious involves oxygen deprivation. Oxygen deprivation may occur for a variety of reasons, including depressed respiration from anesthetics or pain medications, allergic reactions, throat collapse, or a blood clot in the lung.
Oxygen deprivation can be fatal and can lead to serious long-term damage, such as hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). HIE is a brain injury that may result in lifelong limitations and trigger the need for ongoing medical care and long-term caretaking.
Medical Malpractice and Post-Surgical Complications
Medical providers have a legal obligation to perform services in accordance with the generally accepted standard of care for a similarly situated physician or facility. This standard of care applies across the board, from diagnosis to treatment, post-surgical monitoring, and treatment of any complications that arise. Failure to comply with this standard of care may constitute medical malpractice on the part of the ephysician.
When a physician, surgical center, or hospital falls below that standard of care, whether through negligence that causes surgical complications, failure to adequately monitor the patient after surgery, or inadequate treatment of complications, the physician or facility may be liable for damages.
Medications and Surgical Complications
Certain medications can affect the likelihood of a successful outcome. Opiates and other pain medications may not react well with the anesthesia. Blood thinners such as Xarelto and Pradaxa may increase your risk of bleeding out after surgery if you are not properly weaned off of them before surgery. Thus, it is important to fully disclose all medications to your surgeon before undergoing any type of surgery.
Increasing Your Odds at Successful Surgery
While the risk of complication is low for most healthy individuals, there are some things you can do to help increase your chances of success. First, research the physician using the State Medical Board Website for prior malpractice claims as well as qualifications. Second, be honest and up-front with your physician about ALL of your medical conditions and any medications you are taking. Third, have your heart checked before undergoing surgery. Lastly, if you have any doubts at all about the procedure or the physician, get a second opinion.
* This article is not intended to be relied upon as medical advice. Always consult a qualified physician about the complications and risks of surgery in your specific case.
Author
