When your doctor tells you that surgery is a main option for you, usually you trust your surgeons to be telling you the truth, but sometimes your surgery could be unnecessary. Whether they said you need the surgery, but you really didn’t, or they perform surgery on the wrong body part, the procedure that you went through could have been unnecessary and could be considered medical malpractice.
If you’ve had a surgery that wasn’t necessary, or your surgeon made a mistake during your procedure, and you suffered injuries and damages as a result, then you could use the help of a medical malpractice lawyer. At Shrager, Sachs, & Blanco, we’ll help you get through your legal claim and ensure that you get justice for the damages that you’ve incurred.
Why Do Surgeons Perform Unnecessary Surgery?
It might seem unethical, but surgeons are sometimes incentivized to perform surgeries that might have been completely unnecessary. As in, the patient could have gone without surgery and still healed or been treated for their injuries or the ailment they’re suffering from. But some surgeons still choose to perform these procedures for one reason or another, and usually purely for their benefit—not the patient’s.
Here are some of the reasons that a surgeon might choose to perform an unnecessary surgery, according to an article in the journal Patient Safety in Surgery:
- The surgeon is in the mindset that it has always been done this way, so they choose surgery over another treatment option because surgery is more traditional.
- They are incentivized to perform a surgery through a promised financial gain or becoming renowned for their skills because of the procedure, or both.
- The surgeon was not fully aware of what was happening, and they operated on the wrong body part, which is negligence but ultimately was a choice the surgeon made.
Surgeons should always advocate for their patient’s safety and should not choose to perform procedures based on their personal gain. When they convince patients that they need to perform an unnecessary surgery, they are acting unethically and could be putting their patient in danger if the procedure ends up causing more harm than good.
Have I Had Unnecessary Surgery?
When a doctor has performed a surgery that you didn’t need, you likely experienced medical malpractice. Currently, there isn’t a set definition for unnecessary surgery, so it can be difficult to know when you’ve undergone a procedure you didn’t need. This makes it harder to know if you’ve experienced medical malpractice or not.
Even though your surgeon might have told you that you needed the surgery, or you told them that you trusted their judgement, they might have led you to that decision because a surgery would benefit their pockets or reputation. Unfortunately, you likely won’t know that your surgery was unnecessary until after the procedure, possibly even much later.
One way to prevent an unnecessary surgery, or to find out if the procedure you had done wasn’t needed, is by getting a second opinion. Going to another doctor to talk about your symptoms and what you experienced can let you know if what you underwent was needed or if the doctor was benefitting from incentives.
This is why it’s important to have a doctor you can fully trust. You should know that your doctor won’t advise you to get a procedure done just for their benefit—it should solely be for your benefit and health. And if you’re unsure if you can trust your doctor, getting a second or third opinion can help you better explore your options and determine what’s best for you.
Shrager, Sachs, & Blanco Will Represent You
When your doctor misleads you and makes you think that you needed a procedure when you really didn’t you can feel betrayed, angry, and could even be physically hurt. This instance of medical malpractice not only can cause physical injuries, but your emotional injuries can be just as detrimental to your health. That’s why we’re here—to help you get justice.
At Shrager, Sachs, & Blanco, our Philadelphia medical malpractice lawyer is prepared to fight for you. We’ll fully investigate what happened and gather all the evidence we need so that we can prove that your doctor was negligent or acted wrongfully. You shouldn’t have to suffer for their harmful actions. Reach out to our office today so we can get started working for you.