While some forms of vision loss are a result of traumatic accidents, others can be caused by medical malpractice. If you or a loved one woke up from surgery and experienced any degree of vision loss, you might be able to recover compensation for your life-changing injury. While no amount of money can undo the reality of the harm suffered, it can help you deal with the injury by being able to pay for any additional treatment you may need. Our hard-working Baltimore medical malpractice lawyers understand just how stressful such an injury can be, which is why we will handle your case with the utmost sensitivity.
Post-Operative Vision LossPatients undergoing surgery are often afraid for a lot of reasons, but vision loss is usually not one of them. Patients rarely, if ever, anticipate suffering a vision injury after they wake up from a surgery unrelated to their eyes – on their back, for example. Post-operative vision loss takes place when there is damage to the optic nerve due to an extended period of reduced oxygen in the patient’s blood. Put another way, post-operative vision impairment can happen when there is a decrease in the blood that carries oxygen to the optic nerve.
Many factors can contribute or cause post-operative vision loss including the position of the patient, the amount of time the surgery will take, and the procedures used to constrain blood loss through surgery. Since spinal surgeries can be so long, the risk associated with suffering post-operative vision loss is significantly higher in spinal surgeries as compared to other types of surgeries.
Filing a Malpractice Claim for Post-Operative Vision LossPost-operative vision loss is preventable so long as the patient is monitored correctly and adequate measures are taken to make sure oxygen levels in the blood do not drop to dangerous levels. It is the job of the anesthesiologist to monitor the oxygen levels and blood pressure of the patient during surgery. Particularly because the possibility of post-operative vision loss is rarely discussed as one of the risks associated with surgery, patients who suffer from impaired vision after surgery may be able to file a medical malpractice claim, and a seasoned negligence attorney can help.
Surgeons have an obligation to use the utmost care and diligence when performing a spinal or any other type of procedure. Surgical malpractice occurs when a surgeon causes injury to a patient by failing to adhere to the appropriate standard of care during before, during, or after an operation. The standard of care is defined as the level of care a reasonably competent surgeon performing the same surgery would have used under the same or similar circumstances. In order to establish malpractice, the plaintiff has to prove the following: i) the medical professional owed the patient a duty to adhere to the standard of care; ii) the medical professional failed to adhere to the standard of care; and iii) the medical professional’s failure was a direct cause of the patient’s post-operative vision loss injury.
Time Limits in Maryland Malpractice ClaimsIn Maryland, medical malpractice claims must be filed within a certain time frame known as the statute of limitations. Victims of medical malpractice have five years after the act or omission that gave rise to the injury to file suite, or three years after the discovery of the injury, whichever is shorter. Failure to file within the statute of limitations could mean permanently losing your right to compensation altogether.
Reliable Medical Malpractice Lawyers Serving BaltimoreSadly, a patient can suffer a vision-related injury after surgery, even if that surgery did not involve the eyes. If you or a loved one has experienced any post-operative vision loss, you may be entitled to compensation for your harm. At Arfaa Law Group, our seasoned Baltimore attorneys will meticulously examine the facts of your case and to determine the cause of your injury. For more information, call us today us at 410-889-1850 or contact us online.