Any surgery can be dangerous. First, a medical condition that necessitates surgery is generally a serious one. And even mild anesthesia carries risks. After that, a surgeon has to successfully complete the procedure, and then there’s closing the wound up and recovery. That’s a lot of things that can go wrong, causing serious and even life-threatening injuries.

Here are seven of the most common surgical errors that can lead to patient injuries, and when you might have a case for medical malpractice.

1. Catholic Hospital Refuses Transgender Man’s Surgery, Gets Sued

Can doctors get in legal trouble before a surgical process ever happens? A few lawsuits have caused hospitals with religious directives to alter their stance on transgender and women’s health procedures.

2. Robotic Surgery Injury Lawsuit FAQ

It’s 2017, meaning that not all of your surgeons are human. Robots can offer steadier hands and less fatigue than their human counterparts, but who’s liable when they malfunction?

3. Botched or Wrong-Site Surgery Lawsuits: 3 Legal Questions

Surgeries on the wrong limb or organ are, tragically, more common than you’d think. These obvious mistakes are clearly grounds for medical malpractice lawsuits, right?

4. 3M Bair Hugger Lawsuits: Surgical Warming Blankets Causing Deadly Infections

It goes without saying that you won’t be wearing much during your surgery. So how to you stay warm in those notoriously could environments? And what happens if staying warms goes wrong?

5. Man Sues After Waking During Cataract Surgery

It might be every surgery patient’s nightmare — waking in the middle and perhaps even feeling what’s going on. Anesthesiologists are held to the same standard as any other medical professional.

6. When Can You Sue for Scarring or Disfigurement?

Even if the surgery was success overall, the devil may be in the details. Careless suturing of surgical wounds or even malicious scarring can be grounds for a lawsuit.

7. Can You Sue for Plastic Surgery Results You Don’t Like?

Results matter in any surgery, especially in elective surgery where the goal is perfection. But is being less than perfectly satisfied with the results of plastic surgery grounds for a lawsuit?

Related Resources:

• Injured during surgery? Get matched with a local attorney. (Consumer Injury)
• 3 Common Medical Mistakes That Can Lead to Malpractice Lawsuits (FindLaw’s Injured)
• 5 Ways Surgery Errors Can Lead to Lawsuits (FindLaw’s Injured)
• Preventable Mistakes Still Happen in Surgery (FindLaw’s Injured)