Neck surgery, though rare, is a necessary procedure for some Maryland residents. If you’ve recently had this surgery and noticed issues after the fact, it is important for you to learn about the most common neck surgery complications and their causes.
In Maryland, common complications from neck surgery are often severe. Complications include infections, paralysis, and chronic pain. While neck surgery is inherently risky, the chances you sustain a complication increase when a negligent doctor performs the procedure. If you are experiencing severe pain or discomfort after getting neck surgery in Maryland, reach out to an attorney. Depending on your case, you may be able to hold a negligent doctor or hospital accountable in a Maryland medical malpractice lawsuit.
Our attorneys are here to help medical malpractice victims throughout Maryland get the justice they deserve against negligent doctors and hospitals. For a free case evaluation with the Maryland medical malpractice lawyers at Rice, Murtha & Psoras, call today at (410) 694-7291.
What Are Common Neck Surgery Complications in Maryland?
Neck surgery is a rare procedure used to relieve chronic pain individuals may feel in that area of their body. Often, this surgery is geared toward Maryland residents with herniated disks who experience serious discomfort in their necks. Neck surgery, like many medical procedures, comes with risks.
Of the several types of neck surgery to relieve pain or address medical conditions, all have potential complications. Complications from neck surgery can be severe, forever altering Maryland patients’ quality of life. The following are some of the most common complications from neck surgery in Maryland:
- Bleeding at the surgical site
- Chronic pain
- Damage to large arteries and veins
- Damage to the nerves
- Damage to the spinal cord
- Displacement of a bone graft
- Failure to fuse vertebrae
- Improperly placed screws or plates
- Infection of a bone graft
- Infection of an area near the spine
- Infection of the surgical site
- Leakage of cerebral spinal fluid
- Paralysis in the arms
Those who receive anterior surgery, which is neck surgery performed at the front of the neck, and those who receive posterior surgery, which is surgery performed at the back of the neck, can be at a higher risk of specific complications. Anterior surgery can cause difficulty breathing and swallowing, as well as damage to the esophagus. Posterior surgery can increase the risk of certain nerve complications.
Sometimes it can be difficult for patients to differentiate complications from normal post-surgery discomfort. Be sure to have a conversation with your doctor before you get neck surgery to know what to expect. If you’re not recovering properly, there might have been a complication during surgery.
What Causes Neck Surgery Complications in Maryland?
While neck surgery can be a high-risk procedure, the chance of certain complications should reduce dramatically when a competent medical team is involved. Unfortunately, as some Maryland patients know all too well, the risk of complications increases under a negligent doctor’s care.
Neck surgery is indeed inherently high-risk. It is often performed near or on the spine, a notoriously difficult area. While some complications from surgery are unavoidable and have nothing to do with a doctor’s mistakes, others occur because a Maryland doctor acted negligently.
Determining whether or not the complications from your surgery were inevitable or avoidable can seem almost impossible. That is why hiring an experienced Baltimore medical malpractice lawyer is important. A skilled attorney can analyze your medical records and employ medical experts to assess a Maryland doctor’s negligence.
Negligence while performing neck surgery can cause various complications. Neck surgeries tend to take many hours due to their intricate nature. For example, if an anesthesiologist is not careful, they might give too much anesthesia, which can result in a heart attack, stroke, or death. Inattention or negligence of any kind can lead to serious complications in neck surgery patients.
If you find yourself in severe pain or discomfort after neck surgery and are not healing at an appropriate rate, consult an attorney. It’s important to learn quickly whether or not a negligent doctor caused your complications so that you can begin the recovery process in Maryland.
Can You Sue if a Maryland Doctor Causes Complications During Neck Surgery?
If a Maryland hospital or doctor acted negligently during your neck surgery, causing certain complications, you may be able to file a lawsuit for compensatory damages. That said, doing so can be quite challenging, so it is important to have an experienced attorney by your side.
Generally, Maryland victims have three years to file a medical malpractice lawsuit. While that may seem like ample time, building a case against a negligent hospital or doctor can be difficult. Because of that, it is important to hire a lawyer and seek additional medical care as soon as you recognize complications. It’s necessary to identify specific complications so your Harford County medical malpractice lawyer can connect them to a negligent doctor’s actions.
In order to successfully prove a Maryland doctor’s fault for neck surgery complications, the following elements must be present: duty, breach, causation, and damages. As a patient, your surgeon owes you a duty of care. If they breach that duty of care, whether through action or inaction, causing you injuries and real damages, they can be found liable for any damages you incurred.
Any slight complication caused by a doctor’s negligence during surgery can warrant litigation. To learn whether or not you have a case, reach out to a Maryland medical malpractice lawyer today.
Call Our Maryland Attorneys About Complications from Neck Surgery
If you recently got neck surgery in Maryland and have noticed complications, reach out to our attorneys. For a free case evaluation with the Baltimore personal injury lawyers at Rice, Murtha & Psoras, call today at (410) 694-7291.