When a doctor tells us that a certain surgery is required to ease our pain, we trust that they know what they're doing. Surgery can be a serious thing, so you’d expect doctors would think long and hard before telling a patient that they are candidates for an operation. In reality, many surgeries performed are unnecessary. Some of the more common unnecessary surgeries include:
- Hysterectomy
- Gall bladder surgery
- Cardiac catheterization
- Back surgery
- Caesarian section (C-section)
- Cataract surgery
- Gastric bypass
As common as some of these unnecessary surgeries are, it can still be difficult to prove medical malpractice. You must prove that your doctor acted negligently, which means they did not maintain a certain standard of care and that, when faced with your situation, other doctors would not have recommended that particular surgery.
Even if your unnecessary surgery didn't really "hurt" you, it could still count as medical malpractice. Many surgeries are quite serious and come with many health risks. By taking your doctor's word and having this surgery performed, you may have been putting your health in jeopardy because you felt it was your only option. Surgeries can also require extensive healing times and have unpleasant side effects that can keep you out of work for long periods of time. That means your doctor's negligent actions caused you physical discomfort, lost wages, and may have impacted your family's lives as well. Additionally, surgeries are not free, and neither are the pre-surgery and post-surgery appointments or the prescriptions you may need to fill afterward. Some surgeries can cause extreme financial hardship for an individual, but they have the surgery performed because they feel like it is their only option for feeling better.
If you think your doctor acted negligently and performed an unnecessary surgery on you or a loved one, contact our Texas medical malpractice attorneys at Girards Law today for a free consultation at 888-897-2762.