Blindness caused by anesthesia administered during non-eye related surgery is a rare complication, but it does happen. If you or someone close to you has experienced any degree of vision loss after surgery, you need to speak to a skilled Syracuse medical malpractice attorney who can help. At DeFrancisco & Falgiatano Personal Injury Lawyers, we can meticulously analyze the facts of your case and determine whether malpractice occurred. You can trust that we understand how to navigate these extremely complex cases and protect your rights at every step of the way.
Patients must be moved during certain types of surgery to avoid putting too much pressure on specific parts of the body. If the patient is not periodically moved, the patient’s long stay in the same position can injure the optic nerve, and blindness can result. The anesthesiologist is often responsible for having the patient moved. Spinal surgeries can sometimes take more than six hours, and since the patient is on his or her stomach during surgery, the downward pressure on the patient’s chest may reduce the blood supply that returns to the heart. This, in addition to the fluids that are added to the blood stream as the patient loses blood over time, lowers the amount of oxygen that the blood carries to the brain. The diminished oxygen level can lead to the death of the optic nerve. In other words, vision loss is caused by oxygen deprivation of the optic nerve.
Post-operative blindness is completely preventable if medical professionals take appropriate measures to make sure that oxygen levels in the blood do not drop to dangerous levels. As mentioned above, patients should be moved from time to time when they are undergoing surgery with their faces down for a prolonged period of time. In addition, there are certain known risk factors that increase the risk of damage or death to the optic nerve. Patients with diabetes, patients with a history of smoking or hypertension, and obese patients are more susceptible to ischemic optic neuropathy.
Mistakes made by surgeons or anesthesiologists can have devastating consequences for a patient. If you or someone close to you has been injured by a medical professional’s negligence during surgery, you may be able to recover compensation through a medical malpractice claim. Medical malpractice occurs when a medical professional fails to use the level of care that a reasonably prudent medical professional in the same specialty would have used under the same or similar circumstances, thereby causing harm to a patient. As a result, the level of care will vary in each case.
If you suspect that medical negligence was the cause of your vision loss, you should consult a seasoned Syracuse surgical error attorney who understands this area of law. At DeFrancisco & Falgiatano Personal Injury Lawyers, we have the experience to answer your questions and address your concerns throughout the legal process. We know the life-altering impact a vision loss injury can have on your life, which is why we will handle your case with the utmost compassion. For more information, call us today at 833-200-2000 or contact us online.
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