The gallbladder can easily become infected over time, in some cases for no particular reason. Patients who experience abdomen pain and go to the doctor may be told that they need to have gallbladder surgery to remove it. Most times, it’s a simple operation: the surgeons are in and pop it out; you go through a quick recovery and go on with your life before any pain or problems arose. Of course, as any lawyer will tell you, things (unfortunately) don’t always go according to plan. Mistakes happen, error occur, and patients become victims – all over a relatively simple procedure to deal with a troublesome part of our body.
The gallbladder, a small pear-shaped sac organ, located just under the liver, stores bile, which is secreted by the liver, and releases it into our intestine to help break down fats in our foods. The most common issue people face with their gallbladder is gallstones, solid masses of fused bile that can grow to be the size of golf balls; if one finds its way into a duct, it can block the release of bile and you will develop a painful infection requiring the organ’s removal. Once removed, the bile will drip directly into your intestine from your liver.
During the removal process, things can easily go wrong, even if they aren’t always common. The most likely scenario is that the surgeon clipped or punctured a bile duct causing more problems to arise. Less likely than that is that surgical instruments may be left behind in the patient’s body to cause pain and infection. Lastly, the anesthesia may be improperly administered. In any of these cases, the patient can become a malpractice victim due to prolonged pain, sickness, or even death – all from a quick mistake that could have been avoided with proper care.
Gallbladder malpractice can have serious lasting effects on you or a loved one’s health and may cause wrongful death all because of a simple mistake that could have easily been avoided. If you feel that you’ve been a victim of malpractice during a gallbladder removal, contact our offices today to let us review your case and propose next steps.
