Retained Foreign Object
In this Legal Minute Video, TWWHB partner, Scott Barnes, will discuss the damages that can result from a medical provider leaving a foreign object in your body during a surgery. A sponge left inside after an abdominal surgery is a classic example of a retained foreign object. Scott has helped dozens of clients who have suffered from medical malpractice recover for their injuries as well as pain and suffering. If you believe a medical provider has not treated you properly, we want you to understand the complexities of your case before you accept a settlement offer that may not cover near enough of your damages. We have included the complete script for the video below. If you believe you have a potential medical malpractice claim and you would like to talk to Scott or any of our attorneys about your rights, do not hesitate to give us a call and schedule a free consultation.
QUESTION:
I had a surgery and a surgical object was left in me during the surgery. If the surgery center has agreed to pay for a second surgery to remove the object, does that take care of all my damages?
ANSWER:
So the situation we are talking about here is called a retained foreign object. And the simple answer to the question is NO. The surgery to remove the foreign object is a PART of the damages that you can claim, but it not the only thing.
Look, this happens in the medical field more than you would think and I've had numerous cases involving foreign objects that were left in a patient during a procedure. While getting the object removed is vitally important, there are other concerns that also need to be addressed.
- What about your pain and suffering while the object was in you.
- What about the fact that you have to go through a recovery from a second surgery. What about lost wages during this recovery period.
- What about long term scarring as a result of the additional surgery.
- What about any damage the object may have done to the tissue in your body as a result of it being in there for a period of time.
- What about future medical care you may need as a result of such damage.
These are all important considerations in these cases. While the negligence involved in these cases may be straight forward, the damages can be quite complex and go well beyond the medical charges from the second surgery.