No surgery is a small surgery. Any time you go under anesthesia, there are risks, and having a procedure performed in a location other than a well-equipped hospital is dangerous. Patients, however, trust that the doctor they’re working with is experienced, qualified, licensed to perform a procedure, and prepared to deal with complications should they arise. When these elements are not in place, injury or death could occur, and with that a case of medical malpractice.
The Danger of Not Taking Precautions in Outpatient Procedures
In Rio de Janeiro, celebrity plastic surgeon Dr. Denis Cesar Barros Furtado was arrested following the death of a patient. Known as “Dr. Bumbum” for specializing in buttock enhancements, Furtado was performing this procedure on a woman at his home in Rio when the patient fell ill. Furtado rushed Lilian Calixto to a nearby hospital, disappeared after he dropped her off, and the woman died hours later. Her cause of death is yet to be determined.
Furtado, finally arrested after a judge issued a warrant, told reporters he is innocent of any wrongdoing and that “there was an occurrence with the patient. A fatality has occurred – a fatality that could happen to any doctor.” The reality, of course, is that he was responsible for the well-being of his patient and it will be questioned whether he provided a reasonable amount of care, and whether his actions led to the woman’s death.
Medical Malpractice Suits Shine Light on Outpatient Tragedy
Then there is the case of Joan Rivers, who was to undergo an endoscopy at an outpatient surgical clinic. Instead of the endoscopy, however, the medical malpractice lawsuit alleged that a laryngoscopy on her vocal cords was performed without consent and then mishandled. The medical team was also taking selfies with Rivers while she was under anesthesia.
The suit claimed that an anesthesiologist expressed concern over how the procedure could affect Rivers’ ability to breath, but she was told she was being “paranoid.” The anesthesiologist’s worry had merit. Rivers’ official cause of death was due to brain damage from lack of oxygen.
The medical malpractice lawsuit filed by Rivers’ daughter Melissa was settled, and now Melissa is focused on initiatives to improve patient care so tragedies like this do not happen again.
The Risk of Outpatient Surgery
When surgery errors happen in hospitals, the facility is well-equipped to manage a medical emergency. Outpatient procedures done at a medical office with a course of action to rush a patient in distress to the nearest ER is reason to pause. Maybe this is not the right doctor’s office for you, no matter what type of procedure you are having done.
Injuries and deaths occur because of medical malpractice. No one wants to be the victim of a poorly equipped or poorly staffed outpatient facility, but it does happen. If you have been hurt because of poor medical care during an outpatient procedure or lost a loved one in an outpatient procedure, contact an experienced Michigan medical malpractice lawyer at Thurswell Law. Your consultation is free and we do not charge any fees unless you collect. Call (248) 354-2222 today.
