As an RN at a big hospital there were multiple checks made to prevent any problems like this.the checks started in the hospital room,multiple preventions were in place with the area also marked with black marker.There was a sticker on the front of the chart,permits signed,and a check list made out. the nurses in OR has a check list to be filled out.We all took this very serious.
Deborah Helm - 14 years ago
I am looking for long term insurance for me.
I need to know I can produce documentation for this.
Thank you.
Jackie Aloe - 14 years ago
P.S. My condition occurs in 1 in 1,000 people. Far from rare or unusual, which is what the Defendant's are implying. Good God, when they went in to find my non-existent gallblladder, they should have grabbed a few stem cells while they were at it! Why not figure out how to create people without those useless organs: gallbladders, appendixes', etc...!!
The hospital & doctors never ran any follow-up sonograms, CT scans, X-rays, Colingiagrams, etc...BEOFRE THEY WENT IN TO OPERATE ON ME!!!
My medical mistake was a result of a series of missteps, incompetance & cover-up. The AMA & NY Board of Health are a sham, & do not want the public to know that there are real NON-JUNK LAWSUITS THAT REALLY EXIST!!BUT MOST TRUE MED-MAL NEVER SEES THE LIGHT OF DAY, BECAUSE THEY SETTLE JUSTIFIABLY IN THE WAY THEY DO $$$... BECAUSE THESE CASES ARE NOT FRIVOLOUS & THEY KNOW DAMN WELL THEY AREN'T!!!!!! Med Mal is the most "swept-under-the-carpet-sham that this country will admit!! How can they dismiss 98,000 Americans that die each year due to a medical Mistake...if it can happen to me, it can happen to anyone!!! Please Shep, this is a cause that is vastly misconstrued. Please help me & all the innocent victims of med-mal who have their lives changed forever because of a medical mistake & coverup!! If you are interested, I can be reached at 631 424-0964 or 379-1228.
Thanks.
Jackie Aloe
Jackie Aloe - 14 years ago
P.S. My condition occurs in 1 in 1,000 people. Far from rare or unusual, which is what the Defendant's are implying. Good God, when they went in to find my non-existent gallblladder, they should have grabbed a few stem cells while they were at it! Why not figure out how to create people without those useless organs: gallbladders, appendixes', etc...!!
The hospital & doctors never ran any follow-up sonograms, CT scans, X-rays, Colingiagrams, etc...BEOFRE THEY WENT IN TO OPERATE ON ME!!!
My medical mistake was a result of a series of missteps, incompetance & cover-up. The AMA & NY Board of Health are a sham, & do not want the public to know that there are real NON-JUNK LAWSUITS THAT REALLY EXIST!!BUT MOST TRUE MED-MAL NEVER SEES THE LIGHT OF DAY, BECAUSE THEY SETTLE JUSTIFIABLY IN THE WAY THEY DO $$$... BECAUSE THESE CASES ARE NOT FRIVOLOUS & THEY KNOW DAMN WELL THEY AREN'T!!!!!! Med Mal is the most "swept-under-the-carpet-sham that this country will admit!! How can they dismiss 98,000 Americans that die each year due to a medical Mistake...if it can happen to me, it can happen to anyone!!! Please Shep, this is a cause that is vastly misconstrued. Please help me & all the innocent victims of med-mal who have their lives changed forever because of a medical mistake & coverup!! If you are interested, I can be reached at 631 424-0964 or 379-1228.
Thanks.
Jackie Aloe
christina - 14 years ago
ATTENTION: KATIE comments & DAVE comments ( MILITARY)
I would like to address comments made :
DAVE,
I am sorry for your wife who had to go 5 1/2 months with tooth /split jaw. There is no excuse you are right. But the attacking of Fox News and the lack of compassion for civilians health is misplaced. It is not their fault. That is a very good example of what will happen with Goverement controlled HEALTH Care. As for civilians having Medical Malpractice Laws, My surgeon was Head of plastic Surgery in NC. He broke every law, Medical Malpractice, Negligence, Ethics of Protocal by FDA ,cooruption, and I paid for six Breast surgurie out of my pocket because insurance would not cover. Not including five years of going to specialists all over the country trying to find out what was wrong with me. I spent everything I had on doctors, all kinds of medications, traveling to hospitals, tests, I had Medical insurance, I had perscription insurance , dental insuranse, I lost my business of twenty -one years, my home ,savings, life insurance, CD's every penny I had, I lost millions., most importantly my health. For two and one half years I have been homeless because of waiting on the goverment for disability, no medical coverage, no money for medication. I tried every Goverment agency for help. I got no were.I tried for years to get a Lawyer to even look at my records, research, all the medical records and proof of ethics & FDA cooruption I had. No lawyer would take my case because of the tort laws and cap on damages made it not profitable for any lawyer to take my case. Please fight goverment health care!!
Katie,
I am sorry that your surgerey at the Navy Hospital did the damage to your colon and your suffering. It is not right you cannot sue the Goverment or Doctors. I know how it feels to be permanatly damaged and to not have any hope or someone to take responsibility for what they have done to you.
Please, this is why we cannot have Goverment controled Health care. Please speak out and fight for all Americans who have been victims of a corrupt system, and for all our rights. No one should be able to take our health or our life from us.
Thank you and your families for their sacrifice for your country and know that we all have to fight for America both in the services or here at home.
God Bless You
Please look at: Department of Justice Study Disproves Tort " REFORM" Myths.
http://www.citizen.org/print_article.cfm?ID=5671
John O'Donnell - 14 years ago
Finding a good doctor? It is a problem, especially if one waits until one really, really needs a doctor. It is a good idea to do a little research BEFORE you need a doctor, and, if at all possible, you should try to build a relationship with the physician before there is an emergency. Do not simply go with a physician because his office is easy to get to--receiving health care is obviously different than putting gas in your car.
Remember, there are doctors and there are doctors. Unfortunately, practicing medicine is lucrative. I have worked in the health field for several decades, including an major academic medical center, and thus have some familiarity with the selection process for getting into medical school. Interviews with faculty members usually determines who gets into medical school. As such, having an engaging personality is an asset when applying to medical school. It is also an asset when selling insurance. It would be nice if the selection process identified those who had a genuine vocation and commitment to be a physician and eliminated those who were in it for the money.
Asking the right questions of health care professionals can sometimes be helpful when trying to identify a physician or a surgeon. It is a mistake to a knowledgeable person "Is Dr. so-and-so a good __________?" Such a question will usually cause the person a state that the doctor/surgeon is good at what he does. The person you are asking does not want it to get back to that physician/surgeon that he is being bad-mouthed. A better way to ask would be to say something like "If your mother had such-and-such condition (similar to the condition you are trying to get help for), which physician/surgeon would you encourage her to go to?" This allows the person to "sell" the physician/surgeon to you.
Finally, some hospitals are more appropriate for certain procedures than others. For example, the Emergency Room at one of the hospitals I worked had a reputation for being the place to go if you had a gunshot wound. Another hospital was the place to go if you were having heart-attack symptoms. Another hospital had a Chief of Radiology who had a national reputation as a diagnostician. In another case, an acquaintance of mine made the mistake of going to a major academic medical center for a run-of-the-mill hernia operation. He was subjected to numerous exams by interns, residents, and med students who hardly ever saw hernias.
One should also remember that sometimes even conscientious, competent, well-meaning people make mistakes.
DIANNE HARDEE - 14 years ago
yes and nurses make mistakes too. My husband went into a hospital I worked at for 18 years, good operating room staff. he had back surgery for 4.5 to 5 hours, he woke up in recovery good talking and everything. then he was taken up to the 3rd floor (surgical) the staff on the floor had the wrong name on his door and also wrong band on his arm. I went out to the nurses desk to straighten those mistakes out. his RN nurse brought in something for pain (she claimed it was phenergan "normally used for nausea" phenegran wasn't on his chart for pain the doctor ordered it for nausea) the RN came in the room and injected it into the port on his IV. My husband went to sleep instantly and started a very deep and loud snore. there were 7 of us in the room with him
(family) we all thought that he was eased off from the pain. the nurse never came back to the room to check on my husband. Me and a few more visitors went to get us some lunch leaving my son Nic and a friend of his in the room.
They noticed that my husband had stopped breathing, they listened for his breathe and couldn't hear anything, about that time the nurse came to the door looked at my husband then ran out the door to the nurses desk. May day was then called but she left my husband and didn't even try to do CPR. She was the person who caused my husband to die. One of the doctors who responded to the code gave him a drug called narcan it reverses all the drugs in the body but he had been dead for to long and nothing worked. He died on December 23, 1999
The nurse was given a choice of resigning or get fired she turned her resignation in. Can you guess where she is today?? She works at Meleod Hopital in Florence S.C. with cancer patients.
I don't think it even bothered her. At the time of his death my son had just turned 18 and my daughter was 12.
It has been very hard for us. it's beem almost 10yrs ago now and it still hurts us that he died the way he did. This is because of several little mistakes.
The only advice I can give to anyone going in the hospital is always take someone that knows a little medical and who will ask questions
Mary - 14 years ago
your poll is POORLY WORDED in my opinion.
Of course I've heard of mistakes...I watch FOX NEWS....and they cover it all.
TO BE FARE
WHO MANY OPERATIONS ARE PREFORMED EACH DAY?
...come on FARE AND BALANCED !!!
the majority of our good doctors do a great job
... that's why it's news when they don't do a good job
DIANNE HARDEE - 14 years ago
yes and nurses make mistakes too. My husband went into a hospital I worked at for 18 years, good operating room staff. he had back surgery for 4.5 to 5 hours, he woke up in recovery good talking and everything. then he was taken up to the 3rd floor (surgical) the staff on the floor had the wrong name on his door and also wrong band on his arm. I went out to the nurses desk to straighten those mistakes out. his RN nurse brought in something for pain (she claimed it was phenergan "normally used for nausea" phenegran wasn't on his chart for pain the doctor ordered it for nausea) the RN came in the room and injected it into the port on his IV. My husband went to sleep instantly and started a very deep and loud snore. there were 7 of us in the room with him
(family) we all thought that he was eased off from the pain. the nurse never came back to the room to check on my husband. Me and a few more visitors went to get us some lunch leaving my son Nic and a friend of his in the room.
They noticed that my husband had stopped breathing, they listened for his breathe and couldn't hear anything, about that time the nurse came to the door looked at my husband then ran out the door to the nurses desk. May day was then called but she left my husband and didn't even try to do CPR. She was the person who caused my husband to die. One of the doctors who responded to the code gave him a drug called narcan it reverses all the drugs in the body but he had been dead for to long and nothing worked. He died on December 23, 1999
The nurse was given a choice of resigning or get fired she turned her resignation in. Can you guess where she is today?? She works at Meleod Hopital in Florence S.C. with cancer patients.
I don't think it even bothered her. At the time of his death my son had just turned 18 and my daughter was 12.
It has been very hard for us. it's beem almost 10yrs ago now and it still hurts us that he died the way he did. This is because of several little mistakes.
The only advice I can give to anyone going in the hospital is always take someone that knows a little medical and who will ask questions
samuel Holbrooks - 14 years ago
I had a total knee replacement ten years ago, doctors did a great job. Before the surgery I took black marker and put WRONG on my good knee.
Betty J Harrand - 14 years ago
I have a knee, hip and part of my back replaced. Two weeks ago, I had a small operation on my other hip. In all cases, at least 5 people asked my name, birthdate and what joint was being operated on. My orthopedic surgeon also adds his initials to the area that his surgical nurse has marked. When I got to the operating room the anesthesiologist was still asking the questions. If they all had screwed up and operated on the wrong side, I would have spent the rest of my life being careful in a padded room!
Amy K - 14 years ago
I was a surgical patient at Rhode Island Hospital in December of 2008. I received excellent care there. I was asked countless times what my date of birth was, what procedure was being performed, and what side it was being performed on. Every nurse, doctor, or tech who spoke 2 words to me asked me those questions. It's sad to see this happen to such a good hospital. Having worked in medical as a surgery scheduler, I know that more than one person is responsible for these mix-ups. When having surgery, there are pages of paperwork that have your medical history, current medical problem, type of procedure being done, what side, etc on them. How could this have happened? There are so many opportunities to get it right before the patient is wheeled into the OR. There should have been cross checks on the paperwork by the nurses and doctors, and if the patient was spoken to before surgery while awake (which is supposed to occur), the problem would have been found out then (if no sooner). It would be interesting to find out where things went wrong with these specific surgeries. All this being said, if I were still living in RI and needed medical care, I would definitely go back to Rhode Island Hospital.
Sue - 14 years ago
For the most part I have had good luck with most of my doctors. I had a mishap in 2003 when I had my gallbladder removed. Everything went fine they sent me home, had intense pain for a week before they discovered I had internal bleeding. Ended up with drainage tubes for 2 weeks and hooked on pain pills. I live in Alaska and have learned that for any major surgery, I will go to Washington. The doctors there have been awesome.
I also had an incident with my mother who at the time was 78 yrs old. She was put in the hospital for collapsing one day, had seen 2 neurosurgeons while in the hospital both diagnosed her with cervical degeneration and said she needed 2 levels fused which they did. Afterward she kept having the same problems and we opted for a third opinion. Took in all her xrays, the new neurosurgeon took one look at them and gave us a diagnosis of vascular dementia. She is now in an assisted living home as she cant be left alone, she didnt need the cervical fusion at her age. We also had problems with her regular doctor couldnt get her blood pressure or her diabetes under control. Personally we think he was just milking her for the medicare. She ended up having a stroke because of the high blood pressure. We finally switched her doctor and have things under control. Finally!
christina major - 14 years ago
DEATH BY MISTAKE---
I have been trying to get my story on national media and have been writing Fox News because it is not only my story but now with health reform questions , it is everyone's story. But I do not know who to send information to!
To your question today on the Medical Mistakes. I have had 6 breast surgries by Medical Mistake, FDA Corruption, Medical Device Defects.
Medical Mistakes is the eighth leading cause of death in the US.
Hearst Corp. reports that 200,000 Ameicans will die this year from mistakes made by doctors and in hospitals.
The Center for Disease Control & Prevention, (CDC) reports that 99,000 patients die a year from hospital infections such as MRSA, which is preventable. That does not include, Wrong-side/Wrong Body Part Surgery, Medications or dosage mistakes, Foreign Objects left in body, Medical Negligence, Medical Devise Defects etc.
If Medical errors & infections were tracked by the CDC, they would top the list of accidental deaths in the US., above car accidents, poisioning, firearms deaths, and falls(90,000 deaths a year), reports the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, one of the Hearst newspapers involved in the report.
The AMA and the AHA worked against attempts by Pres.Clinton to create a mandatory reporting system. The Center for Responsible Politics reports from 2000-2001 they spent $81 million on lobbing efforts.
Medical errors kill more people every year than car accidents and "More people die each month of preventable medical injuries than die in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001," said Phil Bronstein, editor of the project.
20 States have no medical error reporting system. 20 States that require medical error reporting, standards vary widly & there is nonexistent enforcement, such as California.
Because of lack of accountability and secrecy, as many as two million Americans have died from preventable medical mistakes.
For Report and interactive map state-by-statego tohttp://www.injuryboard.com/national-news/medical-mistakes-blamed-for-200k-deaths-a-year-.aspx?googleid=268788
"DEAD BY MISTAKE" is a national investigation utilizing journalists from seven Hearst newspapers properties, as well as Web & Teevision journalists working for Hearst.
Jenny G - 14 years ago
I think the Doctors are getting a bad rap. Yes, they should most definitely know what surgery they are doing and on who, however, before that doctor ever gets the to patient, the prep staff has him/her ready to go to the OR. My husband had surgery this morning and the anesthesiologist almost marked the wrong arm before my husband stopped him. I know HIS doctor would have caught this error - but you cannot blame the docs alone.
I'd like the WHOLE story- give me some stats on these types of cases... how many surgeries take place in that particular hospital per month, what is the ratio between successful surgeries and errors like this, what types of policies that hospital has in place to prevent these things, what time requirements do the insurance/hospitals push on the docs AND how many patients are denied the opportunity to even meet the doc prior to surgery? Just because one hospital, prep staff or doc makes a bad mistake, does not make all DOCTORS bad. I know that a life in the hands of a doctor is different, however, have you ever reported the wrong thing because someone else at FOX gave you the story? I think we are ALL responsible.
...............By the way - do you know what they call the medical student who graduates last in the class? Doctor. Research your doctor before even getting far enough to schedule a surgery.
Paul Sardi - 14 years ago
I had rt hip replacrd and Dr. left two guide rods in me that were supposed to be taken out. He hid x-rays and banned me from getting reports or x-rays! HE NEVER TOOK THEM OUT. call me there is more on this one, (321) 631-3867
Carolyn - 14 years ago
Over 100,000 Americans die every year from medical mistakes. Another 100,000 die from hospital acquired infections. I think this is excessive and reason for concern. My plan is to avoid hospitals as much as possible.
Eggie - 14 years ago
Shep, Love your show. I had hip surgery not long ago. The Surgeon and Staff were very careful to operate on the correct leg. I was asked no less than 4 times from various hospital staff and surgeon which leg they were operating on.
Having said that, staff and surgeons are human and can make mistakes. If you think it is problematic now, just wait til we have fewer surgeons and 45 million more patients. You will have plenty of mistakes to report on then.
Jackie Aloe - 14 years ago
I mean my scar across my abdomen is 7" Long x 1" wide....go figure...I never had the organ!
sue - 14 years ago
i am a retired rn and have witnessed many mistakes that were covered up.was pesonally instructed in what bi had to say in a lawsuit (i was the one that found the problem)worked also in a hospital outpatient surgical unit and could tell many stories that would scare you.however hospital staff are pretty much threatened to loose their jobs and other consequences if they report these things.its a good thing to have a medical person in the family to watch out for you.
Jennifer S - 14 years ago
I think the Doctors are getting a bad rap. Yes, they should most definitely know what surgery they are doing and on who, however, before that doctor ever gets the to patient, the prep staff has him/her ready to go to the OR. My husband had surgery this morning and the anesthesiologist almost marked the wrong arm before my husband stopped him. I know HIS doctor would have caught this error - but you cannot blame the docs alone. I am asked to mark the surgical spot before arriving for my surgeries AND my doc comes in to question me and ask me what and where I'm having done - he then marks me again.
I'd like the WHOLE story- give me some stats on these types of cases... how many surgeries take place in that particular hospital per month, what is the ratio between successful surgeries and errors like this, and what types of policies that hospital has in place to prevent these things, AND how many patients are denied the opportunity to even meet the doc prior to surgery? Just because one hospital, prep staff or doc makes a bad mistake, does not make all DOCTORS bad. I know that a life in the hands of a doctor is different, however, have you ever reported the wrong thing because someone else gave you the story? I think we are ALL responsible.
...............By the way - do you know what they call the medical student who graduates last in the class? Doctor. Research your doctor before even getting far enough to schedule a surgery.
I have had and to this day still have experienced the "Practice of Medicine".
1966, VA took out my right lower lung lobe to help me breath better, yet, the surgeon made the mistake and spread my rib cage to much, and hit the diaphramic nerve and destroyed my ability to breath with my right lung. This was the beginning of many errors, just this last week my Dr. at the VA had me take test that was meant for another vet. Please remember, they call it "The Practice of Medicine, they Practice on you and me....
Dorothy - 14 years ago
My son-in-law had to have back surgery. It was done in a hospital in Stockton, Ca.. Because of sloppy surgery he had a total of three surgeries by the same doctor trying to correct his mistakes, after almost a year the doctor sent him to USF. The doctor there complained about having to correct the first doctors mistakes. He operated and did correct the problem. No reports were made against the first doctor and my daughter discovered the doctor had a history of botched up surgeries. He is still practicing in Stockton.
Gayla Brookman - 14 years ago
I had out patient surgery and the surgeon punctured my lung and I ended up in ICU for 3 days with large amounts of subcutaneous emphysema and had tremendous pain which led to tachycardia and I was told later was due to the surgery. This was done at outpatient surgery center of UVA.
Gayla Brookman
John O'Donnell - 14 years ago
Tort reform is a good idea. However, it should be linked to reform of State Medical Boards. Making malpractice too experience may be the only way to keep some incompetents from practicing medicine. Some states do better than others. In the past, as many as 25% of deceased patients were autopsied. Today, it is impossible to get some hospitals to autopsy patients who die with unanswered questions.
State Medical Boards, are, in many cases, more about coverups than dealing with incompetence
Jackie Aloe - 14 years ago
Hey Shep, I can top the wrong site surgery with my medical mistake!!
In 2006 I had surgery for a gallbladder that I was born without!!
Yes, it's true!! What a screwup!! The hospital (A very well-known chain of hospitals on Long Island), radiologist & surgeon ended up giving me major surgery for gallbladder disease...I think you need one to get this disease, don't you think?!!! Anyway, this happened in 2006 & I have a &' x 1" wide surgical scar...all for nothing!! I am so angry still!!! I can't wait for my day in court to come, I think it should be wrapped up sometime in 2010. Another thing that is so outrageous...they drag out your case just to torment you even longer. Thanks for letting me vent!!
Eleanor Baker - 14 years ago
My orthopedic (hand) surgeon always marks the site and initials it prior to surgery. 12 surgeries @ four Tucson hospitals! A very good track record I'd say. If the doctor actually knows the patient and why he/she is operating in the first place, these "errors" cannot happen. Disinterested surgeons who show up just in time to start cutting on whoever is on the table, most likely are the ones to have a higher risk of errors. Patients need to be wary of to whom they trust their lives.
Muriel J Moore - 14 years ago
In 2007 I went to a surgeon regarding a "deQuervein's tendenitis" I had gotten as a secondary issue to carpal tunnel surgery a year or so before. I had to use a different surgeon than on the previous surgery because my surgeon was sick and was not in practice at the time. I was also sent to a different hospital than before.
At the pre-surgical meeting with the surgeon I explained that due to an issue with my heart (cardio myopathy) related to thickening of the septum I would be requiring a local anesthesia instead of general. He agreed with that, and he waived all pre-op testing. I gave him a note from my cardiologist.
The day of surgery I had my granddaughter drive me to the hospital because I would only be about 4 hours before I would be sent home. I entered surgery at approximately 10:55 a.m. When the anesthesiologist entered I asked him what the cocktail of choice was for the day. I expected him to say, "valium and vercid." That is what we had agreed upon. Instead he said some long word that I couldn't understand, so I asked for a confirmation that it was a local. He said no, it was a general. I freaked and must have sounded nuts, but one of the nurses said to him, why don't we wait until Dr. X arrives to settle this matter. He said to her, I'M A DOCTOR!" This is what she's getting. I kept saying that my heart issue was such that I couldn't have general anesthesia, he said, you'll get what I give to you. The nurse was taken aback, I looked at her, she at me...and when he put the paper in my face for me to sign I said, I'll sign, but you're my witness that I did it under duress.
After the surgery, apparently, after the surgeon had left the room, I went into pulmonary arrest. I was on a breathing machine for 9 minutes. I had apparently had some sort of broncho spasm causing me to seize...
I had to fight afterward to get the hospital to remove the extra charges for the added days in hospital. I was out of work for 6 months while my head got put back on straight...my brains were really scrambled. My daughter thought I had dementia. In NH I would have to prove on-going issues so I couldn't file a lawsuit...but, as a cautionary tale for others...stand up for yourself and don't get talked into something you know is not favorable to you, just because some doctor says he's the boss.
Jan West - 14 years ago
I was diagnoised with breast cancer 4 yrs ago so I've been thru alot of procedures & surgeries. Too many to mention. I had a port put in my arm for infusions & the surgeon doing it actually said, "OOPS" while installing it. Not what I wanted to hear! Later I found out he made cuts in my arm that weren't suppose to be there & he installed my port in backwards! Then I had my oncologist call me and admit he wasn't paying attention to my white counts which in the end almost KILLED me.
Also had a mastectomy & I have some congenital abnormalities my surgeon was "suppose" to look into BEFORE doing my mastectomy. But he REFUSED to have me come in for a Pre-Op appt which is NOT done by surgeons. He did NOT review my films to see I was missing ribs. He LIED on medical records which my attorney said is a criminal offense. Long story short he BOTCHED my surgery and left my heart exposed to injury. There was NO EXCUSE for this, or any of the other MAJOR things I've had happen to me because these (doctors/surgeons) don't want to take a few extra minutes to go over my medical history and double check things. I've had so many things go wrong its not funny. I TRUSTED these doctors with my life...but some of these places are ran like MILLS. It's all about quanity and NOT quality it seems. There is no excuse for the things that have happened to me & friends and family I have.
Bob Hawk - 14 years ago
I had colon cancer surgery 1 year ago and a 6 day "recovery" turned into six weeks in the hospital- because of some foulup. I came close to not making it.
I have never found out what the error was and other doctors will not tell due to "professional courtesy".
I call this professional "coverup".
Mary S Savage - 14 years ago
After working in the medical field for over forty years, I was the "victim over a physicians incompetence. I have enjoyed very good health during my life. This doctor diagnosed me correctly with a slight case of hypothyroidism. He presribed a medication to correct it. Although I was loathe to begin a regimen of daily medication, I followed his advice. I was tested regularly for my TSH levels. After a year or two he began to increase the amount of medication in direct conflict with the lab results. Incrementaly over a four year period I became increasingly ill. Finally I went to a Boston hospital to find out what in the world was happening to me. They very quickly diagnosed the problem and after eight months my pulmonary, cardiac and repiratory systems were again normal. It was a frightening, horrific and life altering experience.
( The initial prescribing physician resented me for going for a second opinion )
active duty military just returned from desert storm, an ob-gyn at my own navy hospital said i had a cyst on my ovary it needs to come off... in the process, he burned a whole in my colon i got peritonitis, poisoned all of my organs, lost a few feet of colon lost a career lost other organs
lost everything in a split second left quietly, receive a gov't check, but cannot sue the government, you have no idea how many active duty military and veterans have been used as guinea pigs or how many of us have been permanently damaged by the government because we are told to leave quietly...
Michael From Kentucky - 14 years ago
My father just went in for heart surgery, and came out blind. And have also heard of other people having operation issues when they had surgery.
Lloyd Wickett - 14 years ago
Daughter had appendix romoved from the wrong side. They left 4 clips in her and sewed her up. This was a major hospital in Pontiac, MI. When she compleined of pain, they gave her two potent injections and sent her home at 2 am.
The doctores, hospital and insurance companies worked together to conceal the four clips until enough time elapsed for a law suit. She still has one of the clips in her today.
The same doctor removed the ovaries without permission during a surgery. We believe they were illegally harvested for medical testing.
I know of three "mishaps". My son had an appendectomy and they left a sponge in him, which caused 6 months of pain and low grade fever before a nurse told me the truth. It required another operation to remove it.
My cousin was going in for an apendectomy and the nurse patted her on the arm and said ,"We will soon have that bad leg off and you will feel better". She was sedated and could not speak clearly, but she managed to say, "NO, I am Kari". The nurse replied, "You don't have to be sorry, it's not your fault". At that point, she managed to lift her arm, point to her bracelet and say, "NO,no,no!". Only then did they realize they had the wrong patient.
When I had my last baby, my roommate had a heart monitor sewed up in her uterus, and ended up in critical condition and had to stay in the hospital for 3 months!
I went in for surgery and I marked the correct spot and showed the mark to both doctors! They thought I was funny, but I thought it was smart!
Sue - 14 years ago
Before I went into the Operatiing Room to have one of my kidneys removed I was given a "shapie" by the nurse and told to write "yes" on the side of the kidney that was to be removed and "no" on the side of the good kidney that was to remain. I thought she was joking but she was very serious. I remembered reading about a Central Florida Hospital that had removed the wrong leg and then had to go back in the next day and remove the bad leg. So I, without hesitation took the sharpie and wrote "yes" on my left side and "no" on my right side.
Sue
Orlando
AEL - 14 years ago
MY MOM WENT IN FOR FOOT SURGERY AND THE NURSE CAME IN WITH PILLS FOR HER - MOM WAS SMART ENOUGH TO ASK WHAT THEY WERE AND THE NURSE SAID IT WAS FOR HER THYROID BEFORE HER THYROID SURGERY!!!!!
MOM ALSO HAD A SKIN CONDITION ON HER FACE THAT RESEMBLED THE LUPUS MASK (WHICH WE LATER FOUND OUT WAS DUE TO MEDICATIONS THE DOCTOR HAD HER ON) - - SHE WAS SENT TO A DERMATOLOGIST, WHO TOOK A LARGE LIGHTED MAGNIFYING GLASS AND BEGAN TO EXAMINE MON'S SCALP WITH THE APPROPRIATE "DOCTORLY" SOUNDS OF "HMMMMM" AND "UH-HUH" AS HE LOOKED - AFTER ABOUT A MINUTE MOM SAID "MAYBE THIS WILL HELP" AND SHE TOOK OFF HER WIG!!!! THERE WAS A NOTICE IN THE LOCAL NEWSPAPER SHORTLY AFTER THAT THE DOCTOR WAS RETIRING.
In 2002 my neighbor, a vietnam veteran, was admitted to a local VA hospital for a colon problem. After his surgery they discovered that the doctor, which wasn't scheduled for his surgery, had performed a circumcision, that was intended for a different patient, and that patient had been placed in the wrong surgery room. The explanation from the VA was, "He probably needed the surgery anyway, at his age it never hurts that much".
Anna - 14 years ago
Hey Shep, I've had a couple of surgeries and when I had shoulder surgery they drew a giant "X" on my right shoulder so that they would not touch that shoulder!
Speaking of health care, I've been meaning to send this in because I'm convinced that Fox News broadcasts the best and most up to date news available. Trust may be an issue with this office (my doc from my small hometown where I'm a patient and worry to no end that I'm on these tapes somewhere)...take a look! I'd love for you to get to the bottom of this! Thanks!
http://www.advertiser-tribune.com/page/content.detail/id/518724.html
Jeffrey Chase - 14 years ago
Hey Shepard,
My wife just had her second knee replacement and her doctor not only mark the leg the new knee went into, but he also wrote on the other knee the words ............ "Do Not Disturb." A hello of a specialist with a good sense of humor. He also ask her to look at the knee he marked to make sure it was the correct one. We love your show and keep it up.
Respectfully,
Jeffrey & Daphne Chase
constance ross - 14 years ago
hi shep! you are my fav! have had many surgerys. i go to Cookville Regional Hospital. before each operation, i'm asked sooo many times my name, show what is going to be cut on...magic marker ALL over that place! seem pretty simple, huh?
GINGER CLARK - 14 years ago
SHEP,
MY SON RECENTLY HAD SURGERY ON HIS SHOULDER. EACH PERSON WHO SAW HIM JUST PRIOR TO SURERY HAD TO INITIAL HIS SHOULDER THAT SURGERY WAS TO BE PERFORMED ON, WITH A SHARPIE. HE ALSO, HAD TO T
ELL THEM HIS NAME AND WHICH SHOULDER WAS TO BE OPERATED ON.
Trevor Potter - 14 years ago
I made a post above, stating a case my Attorney father had in 70's where the knee surgeon operated on the wrong leg, leaving my Dad's client with (2) bad knees, not two good or useable legs. Well the case was tossed out due to late filling by previous Attorney to my Dad, so the judge tossed out the case.
Well, the point is, whenever I go in for my knee surgery's or arms etc, (I was an Alpine Downhill ski racer, baseball player, and broke many of bones, or popped joints!) So anyway, whenever I go into surgery I get a marker pen and mark the area that needs operating on, plus I shave that area.
Like my last knee surgery, the nurse said, 'why did you shave your knee, we do that for you"? I said, "becasue you better operate on the right/correct leg! I then tell them about my Dad's client!
I got a better one! My dad had a client who suffered from intense migrane headaches, for several years following a deviated septum operation (nose). Anyway, he oneday was blowing his nose profusiosly and a little picked of something was sticking out, he pulled it and it kept coming out, the thread got longer and was thicker! He began to feel releif and continued to pull this string out, screaming as he did so, as the releife was so intense. He pulled over 25 feet of gause out of his nose, that was left in and sewn up! Again this was in California.
Christy - 14 years ago
Yes, doctors and their staff make too many mistakes. Everytime you visit the doctor the nurse will ask what meds you are taking and if you have any allergies. I'm allergic to neosporin, so what does the nurse put on the bandaid after a small cut--neosporin.
Peg - 14 years ago
I had to have a basal carcinoma nodule removed. It was outpatient. When I got home I discovered the surgeon had not removed the nodule.
A month later I had to have surgery again by a different surgeon and was charged again.
No report was made about the error.The second doctor said because it wasn't an arm or leg it wasn't worth reporting. It happened in Newport, Ca.
Norman Bitter - 14 years ago
I had surgery on my right foot, bunion, etc. The presurg nurse verified my name and birthdate. Touched my rt foot and said you will have bunion and rt big toes surger, right? I initialed my right anke in front with a felt pen. Later the doctor arrived and went through the same questions and intialed below my initials on the right ankle. Done deal
Back in 1997 my wife went in for what was termed a "simple outpatient laparoscopic surgery". Without getting into a long and complicated story, she ended up spending 9 months in the hospital (not in and out of the hospital.....IN the hospital) because the doctor botched it. Needless to say I retained three attorneys and caused both the doctor and his malpractice insurance company a very large problem. Once we were in the middle of the litigation, we were told that after our case was complete, he had another 3 cases pending.....one of which had caused his patient to die.
As far as I am aware, the doctor is no longer allowed to practice in this state (North Carolina) which is a good thing. It's just too bad that he wasn't stopped a little sooner.
The moral of this story is that nobody should blindly trust a doctor just because he (or she) is a doctor. Ask around and get references before you trust your health to these people. Being a doctor does not elevate a person to deity status. They're people just like the rest of us. As in any other field, there are those who are very good in their field, and those who are very bad.
Lisa G - 14 years ago
I live in RI and know the hospital well. The doctors were observing my son in law last year, for what, they weren't sure. Long story short, we brought in our own Doctor, and found he had a perforated colon. If not operated on immediately, he would have died within 24 hrs.
Dorothy J - 14 years ago
Many times, especially in orthopedic surgery, x-rays are hung in the operating
room for guidance. If those x-rays are hung up backward, problems can arise.
The easiest way to check the xray is to take a knife, pin, etc and just scratch the
edge. It will only make a mark on the emulsion side which is the one that should
be facing outward. DeeDee
Sheila - 14 years ago
Just returned from hospital because a doctor decided that he would try to treat my fibromyalgia with a new drug that the office had been given excusively for Fibro. He handed me Savella. At this time, I asked him if it would go with all the other medications I was taking. He said, it shouldn't be a problem. I landed in the hospital with a Serotonin Overdose (Syndrome) because I was already taking 4 other drugs that contained Serotonin. Luckily, I feel, I was smart enough to be my own doctor and called my pharmacy, and then they suggested poison control. Needless to say, landed in the hospital...and now I'm dealing with all the withdrawals and will be feeling like this until the doctors can work out all my medications. Also, I believe I wouldn't have fibromyalgia if a doctor wouldn't of had "SURGERY" in his office (stitched up a mesh erosion). Went into shock, hives, and then because of all the stress finally ended up with Fibromyalgia. Not too happy with Texas doctors.
Ronald - 14 years ago
I recently retired from an electric utility in Illinois, we called it a "Job Brief" and it was done before work started, after any change in the plan, after any break especially luch, and at the end of the day. I can't believe that professionals as imprtant as those in the surgical field wouldn't have a similar practice in place....SCARY!!!
marie - 14 years ago
I love your show and sense of humor.
Love the trampoline bear.
Keep up the good work.
Tommy Robertson - 14 years ago
Shep,
I live in Texas and my wife had a surgery in Jan 2007, that we thought would keep her in the hospital for 2-3 days. She was in 81 days, because the Doctor severed her vagus nerve and cut a hole in her stomach, which he noticed and repaired. He had to do the surgery the second time, in which he cut a hole in her esophagus. Two days later she went septic and came very close to dying. Then 10 days later she almost bled to death and had 12 units of blood. Another surgeon fixed the esophagus and saved her life. Two years later, her esophagus still does not work and never will. Her stomach does not work properly and she throws up very often, still today. They say she will have to have more surgeries and some of them are life threatening.
All this was done by a doctor who is head of the bariatrics department.
She will never be the same, so yes, we are very cautious when it comes to doctors.
My daughter has had 14 surgeries, she is special needs and only 4 years old. One operation was for a VP shunt, which was not correctly "snapped" in place together which resulted in failure of the Shunting system in her brain. She has had another VP Shunt replaced a couple years back where the Dr. Did not properly close the surgical site (staples) on the side of her head, which resulted in Leakage of CSF, she had to have surgery to correct that the very next day to prevent infection on the brain. She has also been misdiagnosed one time by a Dr. in TX , the effects of the misdiagnosis has left her with strabismus, and more brain damage. I Have deffinatlly seen Drs. Make mistakes, they are just as human as we all are, I just wish every Dr. Was as great as the ones she is now seeing. In that they are more intunned with their patients, listen to family members of the patients, and take more precautions in the judgments.
Brian - 14 years ago
I recently had shoulder surgery. If it was not for the "Timeout" that the Pre-Op assistants did I would have had surgery on my left instead of my right shoulder. All there paperwork was done for the opposite side of my body. This was not because of the DR. but his assistant at his office location, not the hospital assistant. Thankfully the Pre-Op assistants asked and confirmed where I was injured with a timeout. My anesthesiologist heard the problem and quickly wrote on my shoulder with a magic marker.
Michael Mangano - 14 years ago
My mothers experience was a bit different. She was diagnosed with breast cancer and has had a history of heart trouble. Sje told her PCP this and he had some tests run to assure she would survive her surgery. He said "no problem" "dont worry, we are professionals". Well, my mother had her lumpectomy and immediately had a heart attack while still in the OR. The next day, she had a stent placement, two days later back in for a triple by-pass. Had the Dr listened to and/or looked at the test results, this could have been prevented (the words of my mothers cardiologist).
Michael Mangano
Riverview, FL
FRS - 14 years ago
I live 30 miles from Providence and 55 miles from Boston. We also have great surgeons in this immediate area. If I was going for minor surgery the local hospital group is fine. However, if I was going for any sort of major surgery, I look for the best surgeon in Boston. I have had excellent results on all my surgeries, it just takes a little research to find the best and the hospital with the best results. This is one of my greatest fears with the proposed health care system, that choice will be removed no matter what Obama says because the system cannot handle the volume in the same manner it does today. May I give you the best example: Boston has some of the best neurosurgeons in the country, yet when Ted Kennedy wanted a few more months of life, he had his surgery done at Duke Medical Center. Why is a politicians life worth more than yours or mine?
M Peterson - 14 years ago
Just this year I had to have surgery on my ankle in order to repair a nasty break. When I arrived at the surgical center I went thru no less than three confirmations of what leg would be operated on. First in checkout I was asked to mark on a body chart and explain what I was there for. The admitting nurse verified this and signed the body chart. Next, when I was being prepped my doctor and his assisting came in and they both had me mark ANd sign my leg, showing which ankle was being operated on, then they signed my leg. Next when I was wheeled into the operating room and before I was put out I was again asked to confirm the body chart, and confirm that the leg marked was the one being operated on before I was put under. At the time it seems tedious and repetitive, but looking back on it I see they were looking out for my best interests. Although I'm pretty sure the bruises from toe to knee, the funny "bump" along one side of my ankle where the broken bone was protruding, and the funny angle my ankle was in might have clued them in had they had a question on which one, I am no grateful that my surgical team took the time to check and recheck the site.
cat - 14 years ago
I just had surgery and i am happy with my doctors. I will be scared if the obamacare goes thru.
Anne Knights - 14 years ago
Have had both knees replaced, one 8 years ago, one 3 years ago. Both times my knees were marked with "NO" and arrows pointing to the correct site. Even the first operated on knee was marked "NO" and a great long scar was visible. Caution was paramount.
Lisa Christopher - 14 years ago
I worked in a med mal defense firm and we represented one hospital that had an OR screw-up at least once a week, more times than I count, on operating on wrong part, wrong side, wrong patient. I would cringe every time I was told the Risk Manager from that hospital was on the phone and it was always OR #7 (she would call me and say, "We screwed the pooch again!"). Our other hospitals were not as bad, but that particular one was simply cursed, i.e., knee replacement on a healthy knee, removal of a healthy kidney, patient waking up in the middle of surgery because of anesthesiologist not paying attention. Oh, they got hysterically funny at times, but not for the patient, and especially not for a dead patient's family.
Richard - 14 years ago
My one and only operation on a hernia that was hereditary was very successful. The surgeon came in to the prep room and spoke to me individually with his day timer and verified what side we are cutting.
Shep your journalism is exemplary and I’m fortune as a field sales rep to work from home and catch you at lunch when I’m not on the road. A true Laker fan…from LA, when are the Knicks going to get back in the game and Yes, go Yankees!
David Coddington - 14 years ago
I had surgery on my left shoulder a year ago. At each step of process I was asked repeatedly my name, what I was there for, and where the surgery would be performed. It wasn't merely the nursing staff, but the operating room staff as well asking me repeatdly the same questions. It was annoying at the time, but in hind sight a relief to know that these professionals were ensuring that everything went well for me. As a veteran who had surgery while serving, I wish the military system had taken the same pains to ensure everything went as planned. The military health system is rife with mistakes, and often under reported.
cheryl - 14 years ago
That's fine to use a sharpie on yourself, but what happened to the doctor reviewing the patients chart before going into surgery. My husband had minor surgery last week, and the nurse prepping him for surgery marked the site. There is a reason for malpractice insurance, it's because doctors do make mistakes. Patients should be entitled to reasonable compensation when injured by a mistake. That's why I have auto insurance.
Marilyn Curry Norcross - 14 years ago
I had breast surgery and when I came to - my Doctor was standing there with a big grin on his face. He said we have good news and bad news. The good news is " you are okay, the bad news is - we have the wrong Marilyn Curry"
Carolyn - 14 years ago
I live in renton, wa. My husband just had surgery a week ago on his right hand. At the hospital getting him prepped for the surgery there were 2 different nurses. Each one checked his wrist ID and paper work, asked him his name and birthdate. The anasteilogist (sp) asked the same questions to confirm it was the right patient. The dr. came in and marked his hand with a black marker at the exact spot for the surgery. Everything went well. We had a great experience with the hospital.
I recently had sinus surgery a few weeks ago. The morning of the surgery the doctor spent a couple minutes with me to confirm the procedure and drew on my face with a marker, so there was absolutely no confusion about where I would be carved up. It seemed unorthodox but I appreciated the attention to detail.
Jesse Rothacker
Lancaster, PA
Sammie Niesen - 14 years ago
I have had cataract surgery on both eyes and both times, I was asked to mark an X above the eye to be operated on.
Also, I have had 2 knee surgeries, in a different hospital, and I had to sign a form that stated which knee was to be fixed. There was a discrepancy, but it was straightened out with all concerned before surgery. This method assures that there is no slip up.
Both of these surgeries (eyes and knees) were performed in small hospitals where people are more attentive to the patients.
My wife had surgery on her left arm last week at Kaiser in Southern CA. No fewer than 5 people signed he arm. I can't image this kind of thing still happens.
Georgia - 14 years ago
I went for a hip replacement because of bone spurs. My hip was replaced but my right leg was an inch longer than my left. I was ASSURED that if I had the left hip replaced that they would be even. Left hip was replaced and STILL an inch off. Had it done again and it is STILL 1/4 inch off. I'm told that it was NOT negligence but just a "complication" Almost a year later and I still limp and have pain. I don't plan on having more surgery. I'll just put a lift in my stillettos.
jen - 14 years ago
As an RN working in the operating room if a patient gets to me in the room and has not been asked 3-4 times already the surgery we are doing many people already have not done their jobs. I have worked with Doctors who are to "busy" to stop and do the time out before surgery, so I speak VERY loud and get at least someone in the room to acknowledge we are doing the right thing to the right person. Usually the patients I work with are so sick of answering the question of surgical site over and over, they question if we know what we are doing. I always say that I have never met you so I am asking for the first time and I am the one taking care of you!
Sam - 14 years ago
Most doctors can and will most likely make mistakes. I have heard of many doctors who messed up
Dianne Fiore - 14 years ago
Hey, Shep, this happened to me a few years ago. When I was going for a lumpectomy, the tech doing the pre-op mammogram started prepping the wrong breast. When I said something, she wanted to know if I was sure. I told her to check her records. She did, and she still didn't believe me, so I asked her to call the surgeon, who verified my answer. She never apologized.
Irma - 14 years ago
As an R.N., I once had to call a Dr. back to the floor after he wrote orders to prep the wrong foot for surgery the next morning. He argued with me but eventually came back to the floor. As he looked at the patient from the end of the bed.....the correct foot was on HIS left....but it was the patient's right foot.
This happens more than anyone wants to know. As a side note.....about a month later I had to report this Dr. for coming to our unit smelling of alcohol. Next side note...he made my life hell and I quit my job! Go figure.....nobody said life was fair.
Georgette Green - 14 years ago
I am a retired RN. When I needed surgery I used a marker to draw a dotted line and print "cut here". This was back in the mid 80's. It's only gotten worse.
Brent from Alabama - 14 years ago
Hey Shep, Yea Im glad I have never personally had an issue with this but as i had an Ingroinal hernia surgery almost a year ago, I remember the surgeon asking me and reminding me which side he was working on before they put me under, and that was a good thing to see the doctor doing.
Diane Dalton - 14 years ago
I had three mistakes made by three different doctors. I had a radiologist tell me I probably had bile duct diseaese (through an MRCP). My gastroenterologist suggested an ERCP where the doctor put a hole in my pancreatic duct. The doctor that came in to fix that problem, perforated my stomach. Yes, there are some really good doctors but there are some that you need to stay clear away from. I will never be the same!
Nancy in-New-Jersey-with-a-new-governor :=) - 14 years ago
Five years ago my husband had hand surgery. The medical staff handed him a Sharpie marker and instruction him to label the hand that was to be operated on.
(My husband joked "Should I write on anything else that I DON'T want you to cut?")
OUr medical profession is stellar and today's story IS a story because it is so rare.
Charmaine - 14 years ago
My husband had a kidney stone removed a few years ago and the doctor went in the wrong tube. When my husband came out of anesthesia, he asked why his left side hurt; the nurse said "because that's where the doctor removed the stone" to which my husband replied "the stone was on the right side". Sure enough, he had to have the procedure done again on the correct side, and when we requested copies of the medical records a few weeks later, we discovered they'd been changed.
My daughter just had knee surgery, and by the time she went into the operating room, she had said her birth date, name and type of surgery to be preformed at least two dozen times!! Her knee was signed three times before she went in also.
Alan - 14 years ago
When I have had surgeries in the prep room before the surgery. The surgeon has aways come in and asked me what surgery they were performing. He then took a marker and marked the part of the body that the surgery was for.
I just had a hysterectomy in Sept. and my doctor came in to the holding room before my surgery took place.He asked me my name and what procedure I was having done and took a sharpie and drew an arrow pointing down (HA)
Jake Marks - 14 years ago
hey shep, i had surgery on my right knee a 2yrs ago the nurse gave me a sharpy to mark the right knee. I thought she was crazy at the time, but hearing this i am glad they had me do it! they could use that 150k fine to buy alot of sharpies!!!
Michael - 14 years ago
I have suffered for a decade from a bad surgery. No doctor would say it was bad until one messed up and mumbled something. They will not rat out their peers. My father, a doctor, had a stroke after a surgery. Another doctor said he surgeon messed up and then said he will not testify against him. This happens more often than anyone knows, they just cover it up if they can in the OR. The problem is that doctors are bullet proof. They can kill a patient and get away with it.
Lyn - 14 years ago
I have never had a surgical mishap. I did have doctors mess up badly during the birth of my daughter because they did not have the birthing suite fully stocked with the medicines they knew they would need for my circumstance. I have had 3 doctors and a PA loose their license to practice medicine. Oddly at least one of these doctors is practicing again elsewhere!
Ruth Ann Compton - 14 years ago
I have had two surgeries in the past three years and each time I was given a sharpie to mark the spot for surgery before we went to the operating room.
Brian - 14 years ago
I have had three major surgeries in the past 5 years, all went without a hitch. I think your reporting on this subject is like reporting on airline crashes, out of the millions of safe flights, you only report the one that wasn't.
Sandy Compton - 14 years ago
My mother was a registered nurse and worked at a small hospital in numerous capacities, including 2nd shift supervisor and in charge of the coronary care unit over a 25 year period. They NEVER had a case of the wrong body part being removed, operated on, etc. They had many procedures in place to prevent such a serious error. There is NO excuse for this and the hospital and doctors involved should have there licenses revoked.
You have to ask why. At Martha Jefferson Hospital in Charlottesville, Virginia the administration is requiring the incision time on the first case to be 8am. This means that regardless of problems noted or patient records not available or added questions that should be addressed the incision time must be met....the consequences are reprimands, fines or potential loss of job...Again you have to ask if it is all the doctors' fault or if they are being placed in positions where care of patient is constently being eroded. That is a story you should be looking into!
Paul - 14 years ago
The Hospital System where I am employed as an emergency physician has standard practices in place to prevent these errors. Time Outs are mandatory. Some surgeons ask their patients to sign their name in ink over the body part to be operated on.
Sandy - 14 years ago
Out of the 12 orthopedic surgeries that my 10 year old has had, each and every time, the nurse comes in first with a sharpie and has me, as his mother, mark the part we are working on. We have never had a problem like that, but have heard of problems, like feeding tubes not being placed correctly and then ultimately starving the patient to literal death (family member).
Jackie - 14 years ago
I've had both hips replaced and for both surgeries, before I was taken into the operating room, I was required to write my name on the hip they would be operating on. Seems like a pretty simple way to avoid problems. Someone should tell Rhode Island.
Curtis Lanning - 14 years ago
Most hospitals already do a time out procedure. But rather than look at the hospital as a horrible place to have procedures, look at this like a plane crash. It usually is not the fault of the people, but a break down of the system. Also look at the administration, are they pressuring the surgery suites to work faster to get in more surgeries, or were the surgerical suites working short staffed.
Curtis RN
Missouri
JL Lawrence - 14 years ago
Yes, this qualifies. During brain surgery to remove a tumor, my neurosurgeon and anesthesiologist got intestinal bacteria inside my brain so a couple of days after the surgery, I began to have stroke like symptoms from the swelling in my brain. After 3 weeks of progressing encephalitis, I had to undergo another brain surgery to drain off the infection in my cranium, and they actually infused a liter of Vancomycin into my brain cavity.
I found out afterward the reason my lungs had both collapsed during the surgery was because they had been punctured while the dimwits were putting a line into my heart through a central line. That too got infected. Seems that one of the doctors had some sort of stomach bug, left the OR to relieve herself and returned without bothering to get sterile again. Wasn't that nice of her?
I went after the neurosurgeons' license and hospital privileges, and I got them. She won't be hurting anyone like that again. Last I heard she's doing acupuncture in Mexico...
Sarah Jane - 14 years ago
Shep,
I recently had 3 surgeries and must point out that at CMC it is standard procedure that you are in prep they ask you what they are doing so you understand and the doctors themselves mark the area for surgery and verify the area with the patient. My hats off to CMC
Sarah Jane
Mineral Springs, NC
Melissa Nash - 14 years ago
It's everyones responsibility in the OR to make sure it's the right patient, right surgery and right procedure. A doctor is only as good as the nurses behind him.
David Paul Molinarolo - 14 years ago
I'm thinking the ~6000 people who voted for Scozzafava yesterday are in need of some brain surgery.
Christy - 14 years ago
Hospitals make mistakes as a team. More than one person is involved in the process of making such a mistake. Surgical teams, data entry staff, nurses, nurses aides, and so on are all possible causes of the problem. Hospital systems must have controls such as required by the JCAHO for marking the right sight for surgery. But ultimately they have to hold their staff accountable. They may instruct the staff properly, but if they don't follow up to make sure it happens, they will have errors. Unions are another problem - they fight against performance-based evaluations. Unionized hospitals are crippled into waiting for something bad to happen before they can do something to get rid of careless staff. Another problem is understaffing and the doctor shortage. Hurried doctors and staff skip or forget necessary "time-outs".
For myself, I try to avoid as much as I can any doctor or so, I'm much more secure with my God healing me.
Good poll
As an RN at a big hospital there were multiple checks made to prevent any problems like this.the checks started in the hospital room,multiple preventions were in place with the area also marked with black marker.There was a sticker on the front of the chart,permits signed,and a check list made out. the nurses in OR has a check list to be filled out.We all took this very serious.
I am looking for long term insurance for me.
I need to know I can produce documentation for this.
Thank you.
P.S. My condition occurs in 1 in 1,000 people. Far from rare or unusual, which is what the Defendant's are implying. Good God, when they went in to find my non-existent gallblladder, they should have grabbed a few stem cells while they were at it! Why not figure out how to create people without those useless organs: gallbladders, appendixes', etc...!!
The hospital & doctors never ran any follow-up sonograms, CT scans, X-rays, Colingiagrams, etc...BEOFRE THEY WENT IN TO OPERATE ON ME!!!
My medical mistake was a result of a series of missteps, incompetance & cover-up. The AMA & NY Board of Health are a sham, & do not want the public to know that there are real NON-JUNK LAWSUITS THAT REALLY EXIST!!BUT MOST TRUE MED-MAL NEVER SEES THE LIGHT OF DAY, BECAUSE THEY SETTLE JUSTIFIABLY IN THE WAY THEY DO $$$... BECAUSE THESE CASES ARE NOT FRIVOLOUS & THEY KNOW DAMN WELL THEY AREN'T!!!!!! Med Mal is the most "swept-under-the-carpet-sham that this country will admit!! How can they dismiss 98,000 Americans that die each year due to a medical Mistake...if it can happen to me, it can happen to anyone!!! Please Shep, this is a cause that is vastly misconstrued. Please help me & all the innocent victims of med-mal who have their lives changed forever because of a medical mistake & coverup!! If you are interested, I can be reached at 631 424-0964 or 379-1228.
Thanks.
Jackie Aloe
P.S. My condition occurs in 1 in 1,000 people. Far from rare or unusual, which is what the Defendant's are implying. Good God, when they went in to find my non-existent gallblladder, they should have grabbed a few stem cells while they were at it! Why not figure out how to create people without those useless organs: gallbladders, appendixes', etc...!!
The hospital & doctors never ran any follow-up sonograms, CT scans, X-rays, Colingiagrams, etc...BEOFRE THEY WENT IN TO OPERATE ON ME!!!
My medical mistake was a result of a series of missteps, incompetance & cover-up. The AMA & NY Board of Health are a sham, & do not want the public to know that there are real NON-JUNK LAWSUITS THAT REALLY EXIST!!BUT MOST TRUE MED-MAL NEVER SEES THE LIGHT OF DAY, BECAUSE THEY SETTLE JUSTIFIABLY IN THE WAY THEY DO $$$... BECAUSE THESE CASES ARE NOT FRIVOLOUS & THEY KNOW DAMN WELL THEY AREN'T!!!!!! Med Mal is the most "swept-under-the-carpet-sham that this country will admit!! How can they dismiss 98,000 Americans that die each year due to a medical Mistake...if it can happen to me, it can happen to anyone!!! Please Shep, this is a cause that is vastly misconstrued. Please help me & all the innocent victims of med-mal who have their lives changed forever because of a medical mistake & coverup!! If you are interested, I can be reached at 631 424-0964 or 379-1228.
Thanks.
Jackie Aloe
ATTENTION: KATIE comments & DAVE comments ( MILITARY)
I would like to address comments made :
DAVE,
I am sorry for your wife who had to go 5 1/2 months with tooth /split jaw. There is no excuse you are right. But the attacking of Fox News and the lack of compassion for civilians health is misplaced. It is not their fault. That is a very good example of what will happen with Goverement controlled HEALTH Care. As for civilians having Medical Malpractice Laws, My surgeon was Head of plastic Surgery in NC. He broke every law, Medical Malpractice, Negligence, Ethics of Protocal by FDA ,cooruption, and I paid for six Breast surgurie out of my pocket because insurance would not cover. Not including five years of going to specialists all over the country trying to find out what was wrong with me. I spent everything I had on doctors, all kinds of medications, traveling to hospitals, tests, I had Medical insurance, I had perscription insurance , dental insuranse, I lost my business of twenty -one years, my home ,savings, life insurance, CD's every penny I had, I lost millions., most importantly my health. For two and one half years I have been homeless because of waiting on the goverment for disability, no medical coverage, no money for medication. I tried every Goverment agency for help. I got no were.I tried for years to get a Lawyer to even look at my records, research, all the medical records and proof of ethics & FDA cooruption I had. No lawyer would take my case because of the tort laws and cap on damages made it not profitable for any lawyer to take my case. Please fight goverment health care!!
Katie,
I am sorry that your surgerey at the Navy Hospital did the damage to your colon and your suffering. It is not right you cannot sue the Goverment or Doctors. I know how it feels to be permanatly damaged and to not have any hope or someone to take responsibility for what they have done to you.
Please, this is why we cannot have Goverment controled Health care. Please speak out and fight for all Americans who have been victims of a corrupt system, and for all our rights. No one should be able to take our health or our life from us.
Thank you and your families for their sacrifice for your country and know that we all have to fight for America both in the services or here at home.
God Bless You
Please look at: Department of Justice Study Disproves Tort " REFORM" Myths.
http://www.citizen.org/print_article.cfm?ID=5671
Finding a good doctor? It is a problem, especially if one waits until one really, really needs a doctor. It is a good idea to do a little research BEFORE you need a doctor, and, if at all possible, you should try to build a relationship with the physician before there is an emergency. Do not simply go with a physician because his office is easy to get to--receiving health care is obviously different than putting gas in your car.
Remember, there are doctors and there are doctors. Unfortunately, practicing medicine is lucrative. I have worked in the health field for several decades, including an major academic medical center, and thus have some familiarity with the selection process for getting into medical school. Interviews with faculty members usually determines who gets into medical school. As such, having an engaging personality is an asset when applying to medical school. It is also an asset when selling insurance. It would be nice if the selection process identified those who had a genuine vocation and commitment to be a physician and eliminated those who were in it for the money.
Asking the right questions of health care professionals can sometimes be helpful when trying to identify a physician or a surgeon. It is a mistake to a knowledgeable person "Is Dr. so-and-so a good __________?" Such a question will usually cause the person a state that the doctor/surgeon is good at what he does. The person you are asking does not want it to get back to that physician/surgeon that he is being bad-mouthed. A better way to ask would be to say something like "If your mother had such-and-such condition (similar to the condition you are trying to get help for), which physician/surgeon would you encourage her to go to?" This allows the person to "sell" the physician/surgeon to you.
Finally, some hospitals are more appropriate for certain procedures than others. For example, the Emergency Room at one of the hospitals I worked had a reputation for being the place to go if you had a gunshot wound. Another hospital was the place to go if you were having heart-attack symptoms. Another hospital had a Chief of Radiology who had a national reputation as a diagnostician. In another case, an acquaintance of mine made the mistake of going to a major academic medical center for a run-of-the-mill hernia operation. He was subjected to numerous exams by interns, residents, and med students who hardly ever saw hernias.
One should also remember that sometimes even conscientious, competent, well-meaning people make mistakes.
yes and nurses make mistakes too. My husband went into a hospital I worked at for 18 years, good operating room staff. he had back surgery for 4.5 to 5 hours, he woke up in recovery good talking and everything. then he was taken up to the 3rd floor (surgical) the staff on the floor had the wrong name on his door and also wrong band on his arm. I went out to the nurses desk to straighten those mistakes out. his RN nurse brought in something for pain (she claimed it was phenergan "normally used for nausea" phenegran wasn't on his chart for pain the doctor ordered it for nausea) the RN came in the room and injected it into the port on his IV. My husband went to sleep instantly and started a very deep and loud snore. there were 7 of us in the room with him
(family) we all thought that he was eased off from the pain. the nurse never came back to the room to check on my husband. Me and a few more visitors went to get us some lunch leaving my son Nic and a friend of his in the room.
They noticed that my husband had stopped breathing, they listened for his breathe and couldn't hear anything, about that time the nurse came to the door looked at my husband then ran out the door to the nurses desk. May day was then called but she left my husband and didn't even try to do CPR. She was the person who caused my husband to die. One of the doctors who responded to the code gave him a drug called narcan it reverses all the drugs in the body but he had been dead for to long and nothing worked. He died on December 23, 1999
The nurse was given a choice of resigning or get fired she turned her resignation in. Can you guess where she is today?? She works at Meleod Hopital in Florence S.C. with cancer patients.
I don't think it even bothered her. At the time of his death my son had just turned 18 and my daughter was 12.
It has been very hard for us. it's beem almost 10yrs ago now and it still hurts us that he died the way he did. This is because of several little mistakes.
The only advice I can give to anyone going in the hospital is always take someone that knows a little medical and who will ask questions
your poll is POORLY WORDED in my opinion.
Of course I've heard of mistakes...I watch FOX NEWS....and they cover it all.
TO BE FARE
WHO MANY OPERATIONS ARE PREFORMED EACH DAY?
...come on FARE AND BALANCED !!!
the majority of our good doctors do a great job
... that's why it's news when they don't do a good job
yes and nurses make mistakes too. My husband went into a hospital I worked at for 18 years, good operating room staff. he had back surgery for 4.5 to 5 hours, he woke up in recovery good talking and everything. then he was taken up to the 3rd floor (surgical) the staff on the floor had the wrong name on his door and also wrong band on his arm. I went out to the nurses desk to straighten those mistakes out. his RN nurse brought in something for pain (she claimed it was phenergan "normally used for nausea" phenegran wasn't on his chart for pain the doctor ordered it for nausea) the RN came in the room and injected it into the port on his IV. My husband went to sleep instantly and started a very deep and loud snore. there were 7 of us in the room with him
(family) we all thought that he was eased off from the pain. the nurse never came back to the room to check on my husband. Me and a few more visitors went to get us some lunch leaving my son Nic and a friend of his in the room.
They noticed that my husband had stopped breathing, they listened for his breathe and couldn't hear anything, about that time the nurse came to the door looked at my husband then ran out the door to the nurses desk. May day was then called but she left my husband and didn't even try to do CPR. She was the person who caused my husband to die. One of the doctors who responded to the code gave him a drug called narcan it reverses all the drugs in the body but he had been dead for to long and nothing worked. He died on December 23, 1999
The nurse was given a choice of resigning or get fired she turned her resignation in. Can you guess where she is today?? She works at Meleod Hopital in Florence S.C. with cancer patients.
I don't think it even bothered her. At the time of his death my son had just turned 18 and my daughter was 12.
It has been very hard for us. it's beem almost 10yrs ago now and it still hurts us that he died the way he did. This is because of several little mistakes.
The only advice I can give to anyone going in the hospital is always take someone that knows a little medical and who will ask questions
I had a total knee replacement ten years ago, doctors did a great job. Before the surgery I took black marker and put WRONG on my good knee.
I have a knee, hip and part of my back replaced. Two weeks ago, I had a small operation on my other hip. In all cases, at least 5 people asked my name, birthdate and what joint was being operated on. My orthopedic surgeon also adds his initials to the area that his surgical nurse has marked. When I got to the operating room the anesthesiologist was still asking the questions. If they all had screwed up and operated on the wrong side, I would have spent the rest of my life being careful in a padded room!
I was a surgical patient at Rhode Island Hospital in December of 2008. I received excellent care there. I was asked countless times what my date of birth was, what procedure was being performed, and what side it was being performed on. Every nurse, doctor, or tech who spoke 2 words to me asked me those questions. It's sad to see this happen to such a good hospital. Having worked in medical as a surgery scheduler, I know that more than one person is responsible for these mix-ups. When having surgery, there are pages of paperwork that have your medical history, current medical problem, type of procedure being done, what side, etc on them. How could this have happened? There are so many opportunities to get it right before the patient is wheeled into the OR. There should have been cross checks on the paperwork by the nurses and doctors, and if the patient was spoken to before surgery while awake (which is supposed to occur), the problem would have been found out then (if no sooner). It would be interesting to find out where things went wrong with these specific surgeries. All this being said, if I were still living in RI and needed medical care, I would definitely go back to Rhode Island Hospital.
For the most part I have had good luck with most of my doctors. I had a mishap in 2003 when I had my gallbladder removed. Everything went fine they sent me home, had intense pain for a week before they discovered I had internal bleeding. Ended up with drainage tubes for 2 weeks and hooked on pain pills. I live in Alaska and have learned that for any major surgery, I will go to Washington. The doctors there have been awesome.
I also had an incident with my mother who at the time was 78 yrs old. She was put in the hospital for collapsing one day, had seen 2 neurosurgeons while in the hospital both diagnosed her with cervical degeneration and said she needed 2 levels fused which they did. Afterward she kept having the same problems and we opted for a third opinion. Took in all her xrays, the new neurosurgeon took one look at them and gave us a diagnosis of vascular dementia. She is now in an assisted living home as she cant be left alone, she didnt need the cervical fusion at her age. We also had problems with her regular doctor couldnt get her blood pressure or her diabetes under control. Personally we think he was just milking her for the medicare. She ended up having a stroke because of the high blood pressure. We finally switched her doctor and have things under control. Finally!
DEATH BY MISTAKE---
I have been trying to get my story on national media and have been writing Fox News because it is not only my story but now with health reform questions , it is everyone's story. But I do not know who to send information to!
To your question today on the Medical Mistakes. I have had 6 breast surgries by Medical Mistake, FDA Corruption, Medical Device Defects.
Medical Mistakes is the eighth leading cause of death in the US.
Hearst Corp. reports that 200,000 Ameicans will die this year from mistakes made by doctors and in hospitals.
The Center for Disease Control & Prevention, (CDC) reports that 99,000 patients die a year from hospital infections such as MRSA, which is preventable. That does not include, Wrong-side/Wrong Body Part Surgery, Medications or dosage mistakes, Foreign Objects left in body, Medical Negligence, Medical Devise Defects etc.
If Medical errors & infections were tracked by the CDC, they would top the list of accidental deaths in the US., above car accidents, poisioning, firearms deaths, and falls(90,000 deaths a year), reports the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, one of the Hearst newspapers involved in the report.
The AMA and the AHA worked against attempts by Pres.Clinton to create a mandatory reporting system. The Center for Responsible Politics reports from 2000-2001 they spent $81 million on lobbing efforts.
Medical errors kill more people every year than car accidents and "More people die each month of preventable medical injuries than die in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001," said Phil Bronstein, editor of the project.
20 States have no medical error reporting system. 20 States that require medical error reporting, standards vary widly & there is nonexistent enforcement, such as California.
Because of lack of accountability and secrecy, as many as two million Americans have died from preventable medical mistakes.
For Report and interactive map state-by-statego tohttp://www.injuryboard.com/national-news/medical-mistakes-blamed-for-200k-deaths-a-year-.aspx?googleid=268788
"DEAD BY MISTAKE" is a national investigation utilizing journalists from seven Hearst newspapers properties, as well as Web & Teevision journalists working for Hearst.
I think the Doctors are getting a bad rap. Yes, they should most definitely know what surgery they are doing and on who, however, before that doctor ever gets the to patient, the prep staff has him/her ready to go to the OR. My husband had surgery this morning and the anesthesiologist almost marked the wrong arm before my husband stopped him. I know HIS doctor would have caught this error - but you cannot blame the docs alone.
I'd like the WHOLE story- give me some stats on these types of cases... how many surgeries take place in that particular hospital per month, what is the ratio between successful surgeries and errors like this, what types of policies that hospital has in place to prevent these things, what time requirements do the insurance/hospitals push on the docs AND how many patients are denied the opportunity to even meet the doc prior to surgery? Just because one hospital, prep staff or doc makes a bad mistake, does not make all DOCTORS bad. I know that a life in the hands of a doctor is different, however, have you ever reported the wrong thing because someone else at FOX gave you the story? I think we are ALL responsible.
...............By the way - do you know what they call the medical student who graduates last in the class? Doctor. Research your doctor before even getting far enough to schedule a surgery.
I had rt hip replacrd and Dr. left two guide rods in me that were supposed to be taken out. He hid x-rays and banned me from getting reports or x-rays! HE NEVER TOOK THEM OUT. call me there is more on this one, (321) 631-3867
Over 100,000 Americans die every year from medical mistakes. Another 100,000 die from hospital acquired infections. I think this is excessive and reason for concern. My plan is to avoid hospitals as much as possible.
Shep, Love your show. I had hip surgery not long ago. The Surgeon and Staff were very careful to operate on the correct leg. I was asked no less than 4 times from various hospital staff and surgeon which leg they were operating on.
Having said that, staff and surgeons are human and can make mistakes. If you think it is problematic now, just wait til we have fewer surgeons and 45 million more patients. You will have plenty of mistakes to report on then.
I mean my scar across my abdomen is 7" Long x 1" wide....go figure...I never had the organ!
i am a retired rn and have witnessed many mistakes that were covered up.was pesonally instructed in what bi had to say in a lawsuit (i was the one that found the problem)worked also in a hospital outpatient surgical unit and could tell many stories that would scare you.however hospital staff are pretty much threatened to loose their jobs and other consequences if they report these things.its a good thing to have a medical person in the family to watch out for you.
I think the Doctors are getting a bad rap. Yes, they should most definitely know what surgery they are doing and on who, however, before that doctor ever gets the to patient, the prep staff has him/her ready to go to the OR. My husband had surgery this morning and the anesthesiologist almost marked the wrong arm before my husband stopped him. I know HIS doctor would have caught this error - but you cannot blame the docs alone. I am asked to mark the surgical spot before arriving for my surgeries AND my doc comes in to question me and ask me what and where I'm having done - he then marks me again.
I'd like the WHOLE story- give me some stats on these types of cases... how many surgeries take place in that particular hospital per month, what is the ratio between successful surgeries and errors like this, and what types of policies that hospital has in place to prevent these things, AND how many patients are denied the opportunity to even meet the doc prior to surgery? Just because one hospital, prep staff or doc makes a bad mistake, does not make all DOCTORS bad. I know that a life in the hands of a doctor is different, however, have you ever reported the wrong thing because someone else gave you the story? I think we are ALL responsible.
...............By the way - do you know what they call the medical student who graduates last in the class? Doctor. Research your doctor before even getting far enough to schedule a surgery.
I have had and to this day still have experienced the "Practice of Medicine".
1966, VA took out my right lower lung lobe to help me breath better, yet, the surgeon made the mistake and spread my rib cage to much, and hit the diaphramic nerve and destroyed my ability to breath with my right lung. This was the beginning of many errors, just this last week my Dr. at the VA had me take test that was meant for another vet. Please remember, they call it "The Practice of Medicine, they Practice on you and me....
My son-in-law had to have back surgery. It was done in a hospital in Stockton, Ca.. Because of sloppy surgery he had a total of three surgeries by the same doctor trying to correct his mistakes, after almost a year the doctor sent him to USF. The doctor there complained about having to correct the first doctors mistakes. He operated and did correct the problem. No reports were made against the first doctor and my daughter discovered the doctor had a history of botched up surgeries. He is still practicing in Stockton.
I had out patient surgery and the surgeon punctured my lung and I ended up in ICU for 3 days with large amounts of subcutaneous emphysema and had tremendous pain which led to tachycardia and I was told later was due to the surgery. This was done at outpatient surgery center of UVA.
Gayla Brookman
Tort reform is a good idea. However, it should be linked to reform of State Medical Boards. Making malpractice too experience may be the only way to keep some incompetents from practicing medicine. Some states do better than others. In the past, as many as 25% of deceased patients were autopsied. Today, it is impossible to get some hospitals to autopsy patients who die with unanswered questions.
State Medical Boards, are, in many cases, more about coverups than dealing with incompetence
Hey Shep, I can top the wrong site surgery with my medical mistake!!
In 2006 I had surgery for a gallbladder that I was born without!!
Yes, it's true!! What a screwup!! The hospital (A very well-known chain of hospitals on Long Island), radiologist & surgeon ended up giving me major surgery for gallbladder disease...I think you need one to get this disease, don't you think?!!! Anyway, this happened in 2006 & I have a &' x 1" wide surgical scar...all for nothing!! I am so angry still!!! I can't wait for my day in court to come, I think it should be wrapped up sometime in 2010. Another thing that is so outrageous...they drag out your case just to torment you even longer. Thanks for letting me vent!!
My orthopedic (hand) surgeon always marks the site and initials it prior to surgery. 12 surgeries @ four Tucson hospitals! A very good track record I'd say. If the doctor actually knows the patient and why he/she is operating in the first place, these "errors" cannot happen. Disinterested surgeons who show up just in time to start cutting on whoever is on the table, most likely are the ones to have a higher risk of errors. Patients need to be wary of to whom they trust their lives.
In 2007 I went to a surgeon regarding a "deQuervein's tendenitis" I had gotten as a secondary issue to carpal tunnel surgery a year or so before. I had to use a different surgeon than on the previous surgery because my surgeon was sick and was not in practice at the time. I was also sent to a different hospital than before.
At the pre-surgical meeting with the surgeon I explained that due to an issue with my heart (cardio myopathy) related to thickening of the septum I would be requiring a local anesthesia instead of general. He agreed with that, and he waived all pre-op testing. I gave him a note from my cardiologist.
The day of surgery I had my granddaughter drive me to the hospital because I would only be about 4 hours before I would be sent home. I entered surgery at approximately 10:55 a.m. When the anesthesiologist entered I asked him what the cocktail of choice was for the day. I expected him to say, "valium and vercid." That is what we had agreed upon. Instead he said some long word that I couldn't understand, so I asked for a confirmation that it was a local. He said no, it was a general. I freaked and must have sounded nuts, but one of the nurses said to him, why don't we wait until Dr. X arrives to settle this matter. He said to her, I'M A DOCTOR!" This is what she's getting. I kept saying that my heart issue was such that I couldn't have general anesthesia, he said, you'll get what I give to you. The nurse was taken aback, I looked at her, she at me...and when he put the paper in my face for me to sign I said, I'll sign, but you're my witness that I did it under duress.
After the surgery, apparently, after the surgeon had left the room, I went into pulmonary arrest. I was on a breathing machine for 9 minutes. I had apparently had some sort of broncho spasm causing me to seize...
I had to fight afterward to get the hospital to remove the extra charges for the added days in hospital. I was out of work for 6 months while my head got put back on straight...my brains were really scrambled. My daughter thought I had dementia. In NH I would have to prove on-going issues so I couldn't file a lawsuit...but, as a cautionary tale for others...stand up for yourself and don't get talked into something you know is not favorable to you, just because some doctor says he's the boss.
I was diagnoised with breast cancer 4 yrs ago so I've been thru alot of procedures & surgeries. Too many to mention. I had a port put in my arm for infusions & the surgeon doing it actually said, "OOPS" while installing it. Not what I wanted to hear! Later I found out he made cuts in my arm that weren't suppose to be there & he installed my port in backwards! Then I had my oncologist call me and admit he wasn't paying attention to my white counts which in the end almost KILLED me.
Also had a mastectomy & I have some congenital abnormalities my surgeon was "suppose" to look into BEFORE doing my mastectomy. But he REFUSED to have me come in for a Pre-Op appt which is NOT done by surgeons. He did NOT review my films to see I was missing ribs. He LIED on medical records which my attorney said is a criminal offense. Long story short he BOTCHED my surgery and left my heart exposed to injury. There was NO EXCUSE for this, or any of the other MAJOR things I've had happen to me because these (doctors/surgeons) don't want to take a few extra minutes to go over my medical history and double check things. I've had so many things go wrong its not funny. I TRUSTED these doctors with my life...but some of these places are ran like MILLS. It's all about quanity and NOT quality it seems. There is no excuse for the things that have happened to me & friends and family I have.
I had colon cancer surgery 1 year ago and a 6 day "recovery" turned into six weeks in the hospital- because of some foulup. I came close to not making it.
I have never found out what the error was and other doctors will not tell due to "professional courtesy".
I call this professional "coverup".
After working in the medical field for over forty years, I was the "victim over a physicians incompetence. I have enjoyed very good health during my life. This doctor diagnosed me correctly with a slight case of hypothyroidism. He presribed a medication to correct it. Although I was loathe to begin a regimen of daily medication, I followed his advice. I was tested regularly for my TSH levels. After a year or two he began to increase the amount of medication in direct conflict with the lab results. Incrementaly over a four year period I became increasingly ill. Finally I went to a Boston hospital to find out what in the world was happening to me. They very quickly diagnosed the problem and after eight months my pulmonary, cardiac and repiratory systems were again normal. It was a frightening, horrific and life altering experience.
( The initial prescribing physician resented me for going for a second opinion )
active duty military just returned from desert storm, an ob-gyn at my own navy hospital said i had a cyst on my ovary it needs to come off... in the process, he burned a whole in my colon i got peritonitis, poisoned all of my organs, lost a few feet of colon lost a career lost other organs
lost everything in a split second left quietly, receive a gov't check, but cannot sue the government, you have no idea how many active duty military and veterans have been used as guinea pigs or how many of us have been permanently damaged by the government because we are told to leave quietly...
My father just went in for heart surgery, and came out blind. And have also heard of other people having operation issues when they had surgery.
Daughter had appendix romoved from the wrong side. They left 4 clips in her and sewed her up. This was a major hospital in Pontiac, MI. When she compleined of pain, they gave her two potent injections and sent her home at 2 am.
The doctores, hospital and insurance companies worked together to conceal the four clips until enough time elapsed for a law suit. She still has one of the clips in her today.
The same doctor removed the ovaries without permission during a surgery. We believe they were illegally harvested for medical testing.
I know of three "mishaps". My son had an appendectomy and they left a sponge in him, which caused 6 months of pain and low grade fever before a nurse told me the truth. It required another operation to remove it.
My cousin was going in for an apendectomy and the nurse patted her on the arm and said ,"We will soon have that bad leg off and you will feel better". She was sedated and could not speak clearly, but she managed to say, "NO, I am Kari". The nurse replied, "You don't have to be sorry, it's not your fault". At that point, she managed to lift her arm, point to her bracelet and say, "NO,no,no!". Only then did they realize they had the wrong patient.
When I had my last baby, my roommate had a heart monitor sewed up in her uterus, and ended up in critical condition and had to stay in the hospital for 3 months!
I went in for surgery and I marked the correct spot and showed the mark to both doctors! They thought I was funny, but I thought it was smart!
Before I went into the Operatiing Room to have one of my kidneys removed I was given a "shapie" by the nurse and told to write "yes" on the side of the kidney that was to be removed and "no" on the side of the good kidney that was to remain. I thought she was joking but she was very serious. I remembered reading about a Central Florida Hospital that had removed the wrong leg and then had to go back in the next day and remove the bad leg. So I, without hesitation took the sharpie and wrote "yes" on my left side and "no" on my right side.
Sue
Orlando
MY MOM WENT IN FOR FOOT SURGERY AND THE NURSE CAME IN WITH PILLS FOR HER - MOM WAS SMART ENOUGH TO ASK WHAT THEY WERE AND THE NURSE SAID IT WAS FOR HER THYROID BEFORE HER THYROID SURGERY!!!!!
MOM ALSO HAD A SKIN CONDITION ON HER FACE THAT RESEMBLED THE LUPUS MASK (WHICH WE LATER FOUND OUT WAS DUE TO MEDICATIONS THE DOCTOR HAD HER ON) - - SHE WAS SENT TO A DERMATOLOGIST, WHO TOOK A LARGE LIGHTED MAGNIFYING GLASS AND BEGAN TO EXAMINE MON'S SCALP WITH THE APPROPRIATE "DOCTORLY" SOUNDS OF "HMMMMM" AND "UH-HUH" AS HE LOOKED - AFTER ABOUT A MINUTE MOM SAID "MAYBE THIS WILL HELP" AND SHE TOOK OFF HER WIG!!!! THERE WAS A NOTICE IN THE LOCAL NEWSPAPER SHORTLY AFTER THAT THE DOCTOR WAS RETIRING.
In 2002 my neighbor, a vietnam veteran, was admitted to a local VA hospital for a colon problem. After his surgery they discovered that the doctor, which wasn't scheduled for his surgery, had performed a circumcision, that was intended for a different patient, and that patient had been placed in the wrong surgery room. The explanation from the VA was, "He probably needed the surgery anyway, at his age it never hurts that much".
Hey Shep, I've had a couple of surgeries and when I had shoulder surgery they drew a giant "X" on my right shoulder so that they would not touch that shoulder!
Speaking of health care, I've been meaning to send this in because I'm convinced that Fox News broadcasts the best and most up to date news available. Trust may be an issue with this office (my doc from my small hometown where I'm a patient and worry to no end that I'm on these tapes somewhere)...take a look! I'd love for you to get to the bottom of this! Thanks!
http://www.advertiser-tribune.com/page/content.detail/id/518724.html
Hey Shepard,
My wife just had her second knee replacement and her doctor not only mark the leg the new knee went into, but he also wrote on the other knee the words ............ "Do Not Disturb." A hello of a specialist with a good sense of humor. He also ask her to look at the knee he marked to make sure it was the correct one. We love your show and keep it up.
Respectfully,
Jeffrey & Daphne Chase
hi shep! you are my fav! have had many surgerys. i go to Cookville Regional Hospital. before each operation, i'm asked sooo many times my name, show what is going to be cut on...magic marker ALL over that place! seem pretty simple, huh?
SHEP,
MY SON RECENTLY HAD SURGERY ON HIS SHOULDER. EACH PERSON WHO SAW HIM JUST PRIOR TO SURERY HAD TO INITIAL HIS SHOULDER THAT SURGERY WAS TO BE PERFORMED ON, WITH A SHARPIE. HE ALSO, HAD TO T
ELL THEM HIS NAME AND WHICH SHOULDER WAS TO BE OPERATED ON.
I made a post above, stating a case my Attorney father had in 70's where the knee surgeon operated on the wrong leg, leaving my Dad's client with (2) bad knees, not two good or useable legs. Well the case was tossed out due to late filling by previous Attorney to my Dad, so the judge tossed out the case.
Well, the point is, whenever I go in for my knee surgery's or arms etc, (I was an Alpine Downhill ski racer, baseball player, and broke many of bones, or popped joints!) So anyway, whenever I go into surgery I get a marker pen and mark the area that needs operating on, plus I shave that area.
Like my last knee surgery, the nurse said, 'why did you shave your knee, we do that for you"? I said, "becasue you better operate on the right/correct leg! I then tell them about my Dad's client!
I got a better one! My dad had a client who suffered from intense migrane headaches, for several years following a deviated septum operation (nose). Anyway, he oneday was blowing his nose profusiosly and a little picked of something was sticking out, he pulled it and it kept coming out, the thread got longer and was thicker! He began to feel releif and continued to pull this string out, screaming as he did so, as the releife was so intense. He pulled over 25 feet of gause out of his nose, that was left in and sewn up! Again this was in California.
Yes, doctors and their staff make too many mistakes. Everytime you visit the doctor the nurse will ask what meds you are taking and if you have any allergies. I'm allergic to neosporin, so what does the nurse put on the bandaid after a small cut--neosporin.
I had to have a basal carcinoma nodule removed. It was outpatient. When I got home I discovered the surgeon had not removed the nodule.
A month later I had to have surgery again by a different surgeon and was charged again.
No report was made about the error.The second doctor said because it wasn't an arm or leg it wasn't worth reporting. It happened in Newport, Ca.
I had surgery on my right foot, bunion, etc. The presurg nurse verified my name and birthdate. Touched my rt foot and said you will have bunion and rt big toes surger, right? I initialed my right anke in front with a felt pen. Later the doctor arrived and went through the same questions and intialed below my initials on the right ankle. Done deal
Shep,
Back in 1997 my wife went in for what was termed a "simple outpatient laparoscopic surgery". Without getting into a long and complicated story, she ended up spending 9 months in the hospital (not in and out of the hospital.....IN the hospital) because the doctor botched it. Needless to say I retained three attorneys and caused both the doctor and his malpractice insurance company a very large problem. Once we were in the middle of the litigation, we were told that after our case was complete, he had another 3 cases pending.....one of which had caused his patient to die.
As far as I am aware, the doctor is no longer allowed to practice in this state (North Carolina) which is a good thing. It's just too bad that he wasn't stopped a little sooner.
The moral of this story is that nobody should blindly trust a doctor just because he (or she) is a doctor. Ask around and get references before you trust your health to these people. Being a doctor does not elevate a person to deity status. They're people just like the rest of us. As in any other field, there are those who are very good in their field, and those who are very bad.
I live in RI and know the hospital well. The doctors were observing my son in law last year, for what, they weren't sure. Long story short, we brought in our own Doctor, and found he had a perforated colon. If not operated on immediately, he would have died within 24 hrs.
Many times, especially in orthopedic surgery, x-rays are hung in the operating
room for guidance. If those x-rays are hung up backward, problems can arise.
The easiest way to check the xray is to take a knife, pin, etc and just scratch the
edge. It will only make a mark on the emulsion side which is the one that should
be facing outward. DeeDee
Just returned from hospital because a doctor decided that he would try to treat my fibromyalgia with a new drug that the office had been given excusively for Fibro. He handed me Savella. At this time, I asked him if it would go with all the other medications I was taking. He said, it shouldn't be a problem. I landed in the hospital with a Serotonin Overdose (Syndrome) because I was already taking 4 other drugs that contained Serotonin. Luckily, I feel, I was smart enough to be my own doctor and called my pharmacy, and then they suggested poison control. Needless to say, landed in the hospital...and now I'm dealing with all the withdrawals and will be feeling like this until the doctors can work out all my medications. Also, I believe I wouldn't have fibromyalgia if a doctor wouldn't of had "SURGERY" in his office (stitched up a mesh erosion). Went into shock, hives, and then because of all the stress finally ended up with Fibromyalgia. Not too happy with Texas doctors.
I recently retired from an electric utility in Illinois, we called it a "Job Brief" and it was done before work started, after any change in the plan, after any break especially luch, and at the end of the day. I can't believe that professionals as imprtant as those in the surgical field wouldn't have a similar practice in place....SCARY!!!
I love your show and sense of humor.
Love the trampoline bear.
Keep up the good work.
Shep,
I live in Texas and my wife had a surgery in Jan 2007, that we thought would keep her in the hospital for 2-3 days. She was in 81 days, because the Doctor severed her vagus nerve and cut a hole in her stomach, which he noticed and repaired. He had to do the surgery the second time, in which he cut a hole in her esophagus. Two days later she went septic and came very close to dying. Then 10 days later she almost bled to death and had 12 units of blood. Another surgeon fixed the esophagus and saved her life. Two years later, her esophagus still does not work and never will. Her stomach does not work properly and she throws up very often, still today. They say she will have to have more surgeries and some of them are life threatening.
All this was done by a doctor who is head of the bariatrics department.
She will never be the same, so yes, we are very cautious when it comes to doctors.
My daughter has had 14 surgeries, she is special needs and only 4 years old. One operation was for a VP shunt, which was not correctly "snapped" in place together which resulted in failure of the Shunting system in her brain. She has had another VP Shunt replaced a couple years back where the Dr. Did not properly close the surgical site (staples) on the side of her head, which resulted in Leakage of CSF, she had to have surgery to correct that the very next day to prevent infection on the brain. She has also been misdiagnosed one time by a Dr. in TX , the effects of the misdiagnosis has left her with strabismus, and more brain damage. I Have deffinatlly seen Drs. Make mistakes, they are just as human as we all are, I just wish every Dr. Was as great as the ones she is now seeing. In that they are more intunned with their patients, listen to family members of the patients, and take more precautions in the judgments.
I recently had shoulder surgery. If it was not for the "Timeout" that the Pre-Op assistants did I would have had surgery on my left instead of my right shoulder. All there paperwork was done for the opposite side of my body. This was not because of the DR. but his assistant at his office location, not the hospital assistant. Thankfully the Pre-Op assistants asked and confirmed where I was injured with a timeout. My anesthesiologist heard the problem and quickly wrote on my shoulder with a magic marker.
My mothers experience was a bit different. She was diagnosed with breast cancer and has had a history of heart trouble. Sje told her PCP this and he had some tests run to assure she would survive her surgery. He said "no problem" "dont worry, we are professionals". Well, my mother had her lumpectomy and immediately had a heart attack while still in the OR. The next day, she had a stent placement, two days later back in for a triple by-pass. Had the Dr listened to and/or looked at the test results, this could have been prevented (the words of my mothers cardiologist).
Michael Mangano
Riverview, FL
I live 30 miles from Providence and 55 miles from Boston. We also have great surgeons in this immediate area. If I was going for minor surgery the local hospital group is fine. However, if I was going for any sort of major surgery, I look for the best surgeon in Boston. I have had excellent results on all my surgeries, it just takes a little research to find the best and the hospital with the best results. This is one of my greatest fears with the proposed health care system, that choice will be removed no matter what Obama says because the system cannot handle the volume in the same manner it does today. May I give you the best example: Boston has some of the best neurosurgeons in the country, yet when Ted Kennedy wanted a few more months of life, he had his surgery done at Duke Medical Center. Why is a politicians life worth more than yours or mine?
Just this year I had to have surgery on my ankle in order to repair a nasty break. When I arrived at the surgical center I went thru no less than three confirmations of what leg would be operated on. First in checkout I was asked to mark on a body chart and explain what I was there for. The admitting nurse verified this and signed the body chart. Next, when I was being prepped my doctor and his assisting came in and they both had me mark ANd sign my leg, showing which ankle was being operated on, then they signed my leg. Next when I was wheeled into the operating room and before I was put out I was again asked to confirm the body chart, and confirm that the leg marked was the one being operated on before I was put under. At the time it seems tedious and repetitive, but looking back on it I see they were looking out for my best interests. Although I'm pretty sure the bruises from toe to knee, the funny "bump" along one side of my ankle where the broken bone was protruding, and the funny angle my ankle was in might have clued them in had they had a question on which one, I am no grateful that my surgical team took the time to check and recheck the site.
I just had surgery and i am happy with my doctors. I will be scared if the obamacare goes thru.
Have had both knees replaced, one 8 years ago, one 3 years ago. Both times my knees were marked with "NO" and arrows pointing to the correct site. Even the first operated on knee was marked "NO" and a great long scar was visible. Caution was paramount.
I worked in a med mal defense firm and we represented one hospital that had an OR screw-up at least once a week, more times than I count, on operating on wrong part, wrong side, wrong patient. I would cringe every time I was told the Risk Manager from that hospital was on the phone and it was always OR #7 (she would call me and say, "We screwed the pooch again!"). Our other hospitals were not as bad, but that particular one was simply cursed, i.e., knee replacement on a healthy knee, removal of a healthy kidney, patient waking up in the middle of surgery because of anesthesiologist not paying attention. Oh, they got hysterically funny at times, but not for the patient, and especially not for a dead patient's family.
My one and only operation on a hernia that was hereditary was very successful. The surgeon came in to the prep room and spoke to me individually with his day timer and verified what side we are cutting.
Shep your journalism is exemplary and I’m fortune as a field sales rep to work from home and catch you at lunch when I’m not on the road. A true Laker fan…from LA, when are the Knicks going to get back in the game and Yes, go Yankees!
I had surgery on my left shoulder a year ago. At each step of process I was asked repeatedly my name, what I was there for, and where the surgery would be performed. It wasn't merely the nursing staff, but the operating room staff as well asking me repeatdly the same questions. It was annoying at the time, but in hind sight a relief to know that these professionals were ensuring that everything went well for me. As a veteran who had surgery while serving, I wish the military system had taken the same pains to ensure everything went as planned. The military health system is rife with mistakes, and often under reported.
That's fine to use a sharpie on yourself, but what happened to the doctor reviewing the patients chart before going into surgery. My husband had minor surgery last week, and the nurse prepping him for surgery marked the site. There is a reason for malpractice insurance, it's because doctors do make mistakes. Patients should be entitled to reasonable compensation when injured by a mistake. That's why I have auto insurance.
I had breast surgery and when I came to - my Doctor was standing there with a big grin on his face. He said we have good news and bad news. The good news is " you are okay, the bad news is - we have the wrong Marilyn Curry"
I live in renton, wa. My husband just had surgery a week ago on his right hand. At the hospital getting him prepped for the surgery there were 2 different nurses. Each one checked his wrist ID and paper work, asked him his name and birthdate. The anasteilogist (sp) asked the same questions to confirm it was the right patient. The dr. came in and marked his hand with a black marker at the exact spot for the surgery. Everything went well. We had a great experience with the hospital.
I recently had sinus surgery a few weeks ago. The morning of the surgery the doctor spent a couple minutes with me to confirm the procedure and drew on my face with a marker, so there was absolutely no confusion about where I would be carved up. It seemed unorthodox but I appreciated the attention to detail.
Jesse Rothacker
Lancaster, PA
I have had cataract surgery on both eyes and both times, I was asked to mark an X above the eye to be operated on.
Also, I have had 2 knee surgeries, in a different hospital, and I had to sign a form that stated which knee was to be fixed. There was a discrepancy, but it was straightened out with all concerned before surgery. This method assures that there is no slip up.
Both of these surgeries (eyes and knees) were performed in small hospitals where people are more attentive to the patients.
My wife had surgery on her left arm last week at Kaiser in Southern CA. No fewer than 5 people signed he arm. I can't image this kind of thing still happens.
I went for a hip replacement because of bone spurs. My hip was replaced but my right leg was an inch longer than my left. I was ASSURED that if I had the left hip replaced that they would be even. Left hip was replaced and STILL an inch off. Had it done again and it is STILL 1/4 inch off. I'm told that it was NOT negligence but just a "complication" Almost a year later and I still limp and have pain. I don't plan on having more surgery. I'll just put a lift in my stillettos.
As an RN working in the operating room if a patient gets to me in the room and has not been asked 3-4 times already the surgery we are doing many people already have not done their jobs. I have worked with Doctors who are to "busy" to stop and do the time out before surgery, so I speak VERY loud and get at least someone in the room to acknowledge we are doing the right thing to the right person. Usually the patients I work with are so sick of answering the question of surgical site over and over, they question if we know what we are doing. I always say that I have never met you so I am asking for the first time and I am the one taking care of you!
Most doctors can and will most likely make mistakes. I have heard of many doctors who messed up
Hey, Shep, this happened to me a few years ago. When I was going for a lumpectomy, the tech doing the pre-op mammogram started prepping the wrong breast. When I said something, she wanted to know if I was sure. I told her to check her records. She did, and she still didn't believe me, so I asked her to call the surgeon, who verified my answer. She never apologized.
As an R.N., I once had to call a Dr. back to the floor after he wrote orders to prep the wrong foot for surgery the next morning. He argued with me but eventually came back to the floor. As he looked at the patient from the end of the bed.....the correct foot was on HIS left....but it was the patient's right foot.
This happens more than anyone wants to know. As a side note.....about a month later I had to report this Dr. for coming to our unit smelling of alcohol. Next side note...he made my life hell and I quit my job! Go figure.....nobody said life was fair.
I am a retired RN. When I needed surgery I used a marker to draw a dotted line and print "cut here". This was back in the mid 80's. It's only gotten worse.
Hey Shep, Yea Im glad I have never personally had an issue with this but as i had an Ingroinal hernia surgery almost a year ago, I remember the surgeon asking me and reminding me which side he was working on before they put me under, and that was a good thing to see the doctor doing.
I had three mistakes made by three different doctors. I had a radiologist tell me I probably had bile duct diseaese (through an MRCP). My gastroenterologist suggested an ERCP where the doctor put a hole in my pancreatic duct. The doctor that came in to fix that problem, perforated my stomach. Yes, there are some really good doctors but there are some that you need to stay clear away from. I will never be the same!
Five years ago my husband had hand surgery. The medical staff handed him a Sharpie marker and instruction him to label the hand that was to be operated on.
(My husband joked "Should I write on anything else that I DON'T want you to cut?")
OUr medical profession is stellar and today's story IS a story because it is so rare.
My husband had a kidney stone removed a few years ago and the doctor went in the wrong tube. When my husband came out of anesthesia, he asked why his left side hurt; the nurse said "because that's where the doctor removed the stone" to which my husband replied "the stone was on the right side". Sure enough, he had to have the procedure done again on the correct side, and when we requested copies of the medical records a few weeks later, we discovered they'd been changed.
My daughter just had knee surgery, and by the time she went into the operating room, she had said her birth date, name and type of surgery to be preformed at least two dozen times!! Her knee was signed three times before she went in also.
When I have had surgeries in the prep room before the surgery. The surgeon has aways come in and asked me what surgery they were performing. He then took a marker and marked the part of the body that the surgery was for.
I just had a hysterectomy in Sept. and my doctor came in to the holding room before my surgery took place.He asked me my name and what procedure I was having done and took a sharpie and drew an arrow pointing down (HA)
hey shep, i had surgery on my right knee a 2yrs ago the nurse gave me a sharpy to mark the right knee. I thought she was crazy at the time, but hearing this i am glad they had me do it! they could use that 150k fine to buy alot of sharpies!!!
I have suffered for a decade from a bad surgery. No doctor would say it was bad until one messed up and mumbled something. They will not rat out their peers. My father, a doctor, had a stroke after a surgery. Another doctor said he surgeon messed up and then said he will not testify against him. This happens more often than anyone knows, they just cover it up if they can in the OR. The problem is that doctors are bullet proof. They can kill a patient and get away with it.
I have never had a surgical mishap. I did have doctors mess up badly during the birth of my daughter because they did not have the birthing suite fully stocked with the medicines they knew they would need for my circumstance. I have had 3 doctors and a PA loose their license to practice medicine. Oddly at least one of these doctors is practicing again elsewhere!
I have had two surgeries in the past three years and each time I was given a sharpie to mark the spot for surgery before we went to the operating room.
I have had three major surgeries in the past 5 years, all went without a hitch. I think your reporting on this subject is like reporting on airline crashes, out of the millions of safe flights, you only report the one that wasn't.
My mother was a registered nurse and worked at a small hospital in numerous capacities, including 2nd shift supervisor and in charge of the coronary care unit over a 25 year period. They NEVER had a case of the wrong body part being removed, operated on, etc. They had many procedures in place to prevent such a serious error. There is NO excuse for this and the hospital and doctors involved should have there licenses revoked.
You have to ask why. At Martha Jefferson Hospital in Charlottesville, Virginia the administration is requiring the incision time on the first case to be 8am. This means that regardless of problems noted or patient records not available or added questions that should be addressed the incision time must be met....the consequences are reprimands, fines or potential loss of job...Again you have to ask if it is all the doctors' fault or if they are being placed in positions where care of patient is constently being eroded. That is a story you should be looking into!
The Hospital System where I am employed as an emergency physician has standard practices in place to prevent these errors. Time Outs are mandatory. Some surgeons ask their patients to sign their name in ink over the body part to be operated on.
Out of the 12 orthopedic surgeries that my 10 year old has had, each and every time, the nurse comes in first with a sharpie and has me, as his mother, mark the part we are working on. We have never had a problem like that, but have heard of problems, like feeding tubes not being placed correctly and then ultimately starving the patient to literal death (family member).
I've had both hips replaced and for both surgeries, before I was taken into the operating room, I was required to write my name on the hip they would be operating on. Seems like a pretty simple way to avoid problems. Someone should tell Rhode Island.
Most hospitals already do a time out procedure. But rather than look at the hospital as a horrible place to have procedures, look at this like a plane crash. It usually is not the fault of the people, but a break down of the system. Also look at the administration, are they pressuring the surgery suites to work faster to get in more surgeries, or were the surgerical suites working short staffed.
Curtis RN
Missouri
Yes, this qualifies. During brain surgery to remove a tumor, my neurosurgeon and anesthesiologist got intestinal bacteria inside my brain so a couple of days after the surgery, I began to have stroke like symptoms from the swelling in my brain. After 3 weeks of progressing encephalitis, I had to undergo another brain surgery to drain off the infection in my cranium, and they actually infused a liter of Vancomycin into my brain cavity.
I found out afterward the reason my lungs had both collapsed during the surgery was because they had been punctured while the dimwits were putting a line into my heart through a central line. That too got infected. Seems that one of the doctors had some sort of stomach bug, left the OR to relieve herself and returned without bothering to get sterile again. Wasn't that nice of her?
I went after the neurosurgeons' license and hospital privileges, and I got them. She won't be hurting anyone like that again. Last I heard she's doing acupuncture in Mexico...
Shep,
I recently had 3 surgeries and must point out that at CMC it is standard procedure that you are in prep they ask you what they are doing so you understand and the doctors themselves mark the area for surgery and verify the area with the patient. My hats off to CMC
Sarah Jane
Mineral Springs, NC
It's everyones responsibility in the OR to make sure it's the right patient, right surgery and right procedure. A doctor is only as good as the nurses behind him.
I'm thinking the ~6000 people who voted for Scozzafava yesterday are in need of some brain surgery.
Hospitals make mistakes as a team. More than one person is involved in the process of making such a mistake. Surgical teams, data entry staff, nurses, nurses aides, and so on are all possible causes of the problem. Hospital systems must have controls such as required by the JCAHO for marking the right sight for surgery. But ultimately they have to hold their staff accountable. They may instruct the staff properly, but if they don't follow up to make sure it happens, they will have errors. Unions are another problem - they fight against performance-based evaluations. Unionized hospitals are crippled into waiting for something bad to happen before they can do something to get rid of careless staff. Another problem is understaffing and the doctor shortage. Hurried doctors and staff skip or forget necessary "time-outs".