Anesthesia is absolutely necessary for many successful surgical procedures. Only those rendered unconscious by medication can undergo invasive medical operations. Unfortunately, anesthesia is one of the leading sources of injury during surgical procedures.
Small mistakes by an anesthesiologist can have life-altering consequences for the patient. Too much anesthesia could stop someone’s breathing or their heartbeat, potentially leading to death. Beyond the catastrophic consequences of a patient dying during the improper administration of anesthesia, the following are some of the most common anesthesia injuries and their effects on patients.
Dental injuries
Research has shown that as many as 1% of patients who go under general anesthesia have a tooth break, become dislocated or come out of their mouths because of the procedure. Obviously, any dental injury can be both painful and potentially expensive to address. Additionally, a tooth knocked loose during someone’s procedure could lead to a choking incident. Blockages in someone’s airway could cause brain injuries in some cases. Dental injuries are a common issue that could cause changes in someone’s appearance and other health complications.
Tracheal injuries
Anesthesia requiring intubation or the placement of tubes down someone’s throat doesn’t just create the risk of dental injury. Injuries to the throat or trachea are also relatively common. Roughly 40% of patients who have to have a tube placed for anesthesia report painful symptoms after their surgeries. In more severe cases, people may actually have soft tissue injuries that persist for many days after the surgery. Sometimes, people can even suffer perforating trauma. Not only could the injury cause death, but it could also cause brain damage due to difficulty breathing and ongoing pain.
Nerve injuries
There are many different ways in which an anesthesia issue could lead to nerve injuries for a patient. If the anesthesiologist improperly administers the anesthesia, they could cause nerve damage by injecting a drug improperly in some cases. Other times, nerve injuries occur because of someone’s body placement at the time of a procedure. Nerve injuries can cause lingering pain or sensation issues and can also sometimes trigger functional limitations for the patient that could cause long-term issues in some cases.
Those coping with the consequences of an anesthesia-related injury may sometimes have grounds to file a medical malpractice lawsuit. Pursuing compensation is a reasonable reaction to a preventable injury caused by negligent administration of anesthesia.