Michigan Anesthesia Malpractice Attorney

Anesthesiologist Negligence and Error

The medical specialty of anesthesiology involves the administration of sedative drugs to patients during surgeries and other procedures. Anesthetic medications can be given in outpatient settings as well as inpatient settings. Anesthetic medications are generally used to render the patient unconscious during surgery, although they may also be used for conscious sedation or pain management. An anesthesiologist may also administer a regional anesthetic for surgery that simply numbs a specific portion of the patient's body, such as a spinal anesthetic or an epidural anesthetic.

In hospital or outpatient settings, the anesthesiologist may be supervising one or more Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) who are the individuals actually administering and monitoring the sedative medications. An anesthesiologist or a CRNA is usually present for obstetrical deliveries, surgeries requiring sedation, and may initially treats cardiac and respiratory emergencies. Unfortunately, when the anesthesiologists or CRNAs responsible for administering and monitoring medications and treating emergencies fail to do so properly, there may be severe repercussions, including brain damage, lung collapse, cardiac arrest, strokes, and death. If you or someone you love has suffered any of these effects of anesthetic malpractice, a Michigan medical malpractice attorney at Sommers Schwartz may be able to help you recover damages.

Beyond their role in administering and monitoring sedative and numbing medications in hospital operating rooms and outpatient surgery centers, some anesthesiologists are also pain management doctors, providing a variety of therapies to treat chronic pain conditions. They may monitor the prescriptions for a variety of medications that can be used to treat chronic pain, such as narcotic pain medications, sleeping pills, numbing agents, anti-depressants, and other drugs. These drugs are often prescribed in substantial doses which call for close supervision of side effects and interactions. If the physician does not carefully supervise and monitor these medications, adverse reactions can occur, potentially causing serious injury and even death. When an anesthesiologist improperly performs these procedures, the results for the patient and his or her family can be catastrophic.

Anesthesiology Malpractice in Michigan

Our firm's resources allow us to retain well-trained and highly-experienced anesthesiologists and CRNAs to review all aspects of anesthesia care. When anesthesia is incorrectly administered or negligently monitored and a serious injury or death occurs, we cannot undo the harm. We can, however, ensure that those responsible are held accountable to patient and his or her family for medical expenses, funeral costs, pain and suffering, lost wages, and other associated costs.

If you or someone you love has been harmed due to anesthesiologist error, protect your rights and contact a Michigan Anesthesia Malpractice Lawyer at your earliest convenience.