Every year thousands of operations are carried out in the UK and almost all are performed seamlessly; however sometimes this is not the case and situations may arise to the detriment of the patient. Anaesthetic during surgery is almost always crucial, as the operation would be far too painful without it. The administering of anaesthetic and the monitoring of the patient’s consciousness is a very fine balance; and sometimes this balance is not maintained. On average, this only happens in 2 in every 1000 cases, but what happens if one of those cases is you, or someone you love?
How do these errors occur?
Remaining conscious through an operation, or regaining consciousness during an operation can be an incredibly damaging and distressing situation; in some cases leading to post-traumatic stress disorder. ‘Anaesthesia Awareness’ occurs when the patient does not receive the correct dose of anaesthetic during the course of the operation, and as a result regains consciousness during the operation. This normally happens for one of two reasons:
- The anaesthetist miscalculates the level of anaesthetic to maintain your unconsciousness
- The machinery administering the anaesthetic is not functioning properly
What happens when these errors occur?
Not only can errors during anaesthesia lead to the patient regaining consciousness and becoming aware during the operation, they can also lead to far more serious issues such as:
- Paralysis – a poorly administered dose of general anaesthesia can cause nerve or spinal damage (This is particularly common during childbirth as complications can result from epidurals)
- Negligence in administering anaesthesia can lead to an induced coma, or even death
- Failure to properly monitor breathing during the operation can lead to a lack of oxygen reaching the brain and can result in brain damage
- Administering an incorrect dose can allow the patient to feel more pain than they should.
How can these issues be avoided?
There are clear guidelines for anaesthetists to follow when preparing to administer treatments. These include:
- Thoroughly checking the patient’s history, taking particular note of any allergies
- Ensuring that all machinery and equipment to be used during the procedure is thoroughly checked for faults, properly maintained, and that all individuals are fully trained for its use
- Patients should also be supplied with adequate pre-medication – bearing mind that some patients are more resilient to the treatments than others.
What if you have suffered from an error during anaesthesia?
Out team of solicitors have years of experience dealing with these situations, and have built a wealth of knowledge of cases – some could well be similar to yours. Contact one of our team today to see if you can make a claim and ensure that standards and procedures are constantly maintained and improved.