Imagine going in for a surgery on a testicle only to find out when it is over that the doctor removed your healthy testicle. This would be a nightmare for any man. Sadly, it does happen sometimes. The incidence of wrong site surgery isn’t as prevalent as what it was in the past, but it is still a horrible issue.
Anyone who is going to have a surgical procedure should make sure that they take steps to ensure that the proper surgery is going to be done on the correct location. One study that was done by Massachusetts General Hospital found that patients who are very involved in their medical care suffer fewer errors than those who aren’t all that involved.
There are many ways that you can remain involved in your case. One of these is to make sure that you ask a lot of questions. Some patients don’t do this because they think their doctor will get irritated; however, most doctors welcome patients who ask questions. This means that you are interested in what is going on and why you need to have certain things done.
Don’t be afraid to go home and research procedures before you head in for a procedure. This doesn’t mean that you should believe everything that a search engine says, but finding information on reputable websites can help you learn what is normal and what you should expect.
If possible, have someone accompany you to appointments. This can help you ensure that you are getting all of the information you need. Make sure your friend is comfortable asking questions or speaking up for you if something just doesn’t seem right.
Ideally, you will be able to find someone who has ample experience performing the procedure. Even in this case, you might still end up being one of the victims that have to deal with a surgical error this year. If this is the case, you might opt to seek compensation for the error.