Page 33 - Avoiding Surgical Mishaps Part 1

SVMIC Avoiding Surgical Mishaps: Dissecting the Risks

immediately. The office policy might define the test results as

“normal”, “abnormal”, or “critical” with correlating responses
appropriate for each.

Surgeons and other physicians performing invasive

procedures are also responsible for the review of
preoperative tests or procedures to which they have

access, regardless of who orders them. It is important
that, prior to arriving in the operating room (OR), the surgeon

has reviewed all preoperative lab work, diagnostic tests, or
medical clearance consults to ensure that no abnormalities go

unnoticed. If such a test ultimately reveals a potentially serious
problem, the patient may later claim that he/she would have

declined to move forward with the surgery if the test results had
been known and may also have a claim for delay in diagnosis.

Communicating with Staff

It is important to build and nurture rapport with nursing staff to

avoid a toxic environment in which the nursing staff are hesitant
to call on the surgeon. This can potentially create an unsafe

patient situation and increase liability exposure. The following
case illustrates the need to set the expectation that the surgical

team is encouraged to speak up and communicate.

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