Anesthesia makes modern surgery possible. It allows doctors to perform complicated medical procedures without forcing patients to be awake or experience pain. But when something goes wrong, the consequences can be catastrophic.
Anesthesia injuries happen when something goes awry during the process of sedating a patient and are almost always the result of medical malpractice. It might be the dosage or the timing. Sometimes, it’s a lack of monitoring. Whatever the reason, the damage can be immediate and long-lasting.
How Do Anesthesia Injuries Happen?
There are three main types of anesthesia: local, regional, and general. Because general anesthesia (the kind used for major surgeries) carries the most serious risks, this is the type that causes the most anesthesia injuries. Anesthesia is complicated, and providers have to be specially trained to administer it. However, there are a number of ways things can go wrong.
Dosage Mistakes
Too much anesthesia can slow your breathing to dangerous levels or stop it altogether. On the other hand, if you’re given too little, you might wake up in the middle of your surgery. If that happens, you may be fully aware of what’s going on, but you won’t be able to move or speak.
Intubation Injuries
Anesthesia often requires a breathing tube. If the provider inserts it incorrectly, it can cause damage to your throat, your vocal cords, or even your lungs.
Failure to Monitor
Patients need to be constantly monitored when they’re under anesthesia. Someone needs to keep an eye on their blood pressure, oxygen levels, heart rate, and other vital signs to make sure there aren’t any complications. If a team member looks away or misses a signal, a patient can go into distress in seconds.
Allergic Reactions
Some people can react badly to certain anesthesia drugs. That’s why pre-surgery screening is so important. If doctors miss an anesthesia allergy or ignore a warning in the patient’s file, the patient is the one who suffers.
Impact of an Anesthesia Injury
The trauma of an anesthesia injury can touch every part of a person’s life. The physical damage is bad enough, but that’s often just the start.
Victims can suffer brain injuries from a lack of oxygen. Depending on what part of the brain is injured, that could mean memory problems, speech issues, and mobility challenges. In many cases, these injuries never fully heal. Others may experience nerve damage, which can trigger long-term pain or loss of movement.
There are also psychological effects, like anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or depression — especially in people who experienced anesthesia awareness (waking up during surgery).
Family dynamics can be affected, too. Loved ones may need to become caregivers overnight. Jobs can be lost. Medical bills pile up. Life changes in ways that no one planned for.
In the most tragic cases, an anesthesia injury could result in the wrongful death of the patient.
Who Is Responsible for an Anesthesia Injury?
Liability usually falls on the anesthesiologist or one or more members of the surgical team. However, anyone who was involved could be held accountable if something they did (or didn’t do) contributed to the injury. Besides the anesthesiologist, this might include nurses, surgeons, and even the hospital itself.
If someone made a mistake, skipped a step, or failed to catch a warning sign, that could be considered medical negligence. When negligence leads to harm, the law offers a way to hold the responsible parties accountable.
What Are Symptoms of an Anesthesia Injury?
Not every injury is immediately obvious. Signs may show up slowly in the days or weeks after the procedure.
Symptoms of an anesthesia injury include:
- Trouble thinking clearly
- Memory loss
- Ongoing fatigue
- Difficulty speaking
- Pain in the throat, chest, or back
- Loss of movement or feeling in limbs
- New or worsened emotional distress
These effects might not seem that serious, but you shouldn’t ignore them. They may point to a deeper issue caused by anesthesia complications.
What Sets Anesthesia Injuries Apart?
Surgical mistakes usually get more legal attention. However, anesthesia injuries can be even more dangerous because they involve the brain, heart, and lungs. Unlike a surgical mistake that can be corrected with another procedure, many anesthesia injuries are permanent.
The margin for error is razor-thin. Anesthesiologists are trained to work under pressure, but even small missteps can spiral quickly. When that happens, the patient’s life can change in seconds.
Call Fellerman & Ciarimboli, Law PC, for a Free Consultation With Our Scranton Medical Malpractice Attorneys
If you or someone you love has suffered an anesthesia injury, you’re likely dealing with shock, anger, and a thousand questions. That’s normal. But you don’t have to let the responsible parties get away without accountability. These injuries are serious, and they deserve serious attention.
The team at Fellerman & Ciarimboli, Law PC, is ready to listen and take action on your behalf. You may be entitled to compensation for your injuries, lost income, and pain. Our Scranton medical malpractice lawyers are available for a free consultation. Contact us today for the support you need to get the justice you deserve at (570) 714-4878.
