Suing a plastic surgeon for medical malpractice

In most cases, Ohio residents who get plastic surgery are satisfied with their results. However, because it’s still a surgical procedure, there’s always a level of risk. If you had a procedure and suffered harm, knowing whether it’s considered medical malpractice is crucial.

Understanding plastic surgery

According to the American College of Surgeons, plastic surgery is a procedure that involves repairing damage or defects to certain areas of the body. It can also correct a cosmetic issue to the liking of a patient; for example, if a woman is unhappy with the size and shape of her breasts, she could get breast augmentation with implants.

Regardless of whether a person wants plastic surgery for cosmetic or reconstructive purposes, plastic surgeons must be board-certified and have significant education and training to ensure utmost professionalism. However, if the doctor is negligent while performing surgery and the patient is left disfigured, injured or harmed in some other way, they could be held liable for medical malpractice.

What’s considered malpractice

Patients must also do their part after a procedure; surgeons provide aftercare instructions for what they can and cannot do and may give a timeline for their recovery. If a patient fails to follow those criteria and experiences a complication, the doctor may not be accountable.

However, if the doctor exhibited negligence at any stage, it could be medical malpractice. Failing to warn patients of the risks and not giving them instructions for prep before plastic surgery and aftercare can result in serious harm; for example, if a patient taking blood thinners was not told to stop taking them before surgery, it could lead to a bleeding emergency.

Medical malpractice can also involve surgery on the wrong part of the body, accidentally nicking a nerve and causing nerve damage or leaving an instrument inside the patient. Doctors must also be fully alert and awake and not under the influence or fatigued while performing surgery.

Any of these scenarios could leave a patient suffering serious harm or even death. Plastic surgeons must provide reasonable care like any other doctor to avoid malpractice.