Q: If I have surgery and then my doctor tells me I have to have another surgery to correct complications from the first
procedure, is that considered medical malpractice? Do the results of my second surgery matter since it was the first one that was done wrong?
A: By itself, the fact that you need corrective surgery does not necessarily mean that the doctor committed medical malpractice. The doctor may have done everything in accordance with the accepted standards for that type of surgery, even though the outcome is not what was hoped for. If in fact the doctor was negligent, the result of the second surgery does matter in that the success or failure of the second surgery will determine the extent to which you are injured by the negligence during the first surgery: The more successful the second surgery, the less injured you will be.
A:
Depends on the complications. For instance scar tissue is an expected fallout from any surgery and not an indicator of malpractice.
Contact a member of the Md. Assn for Justice that handles medical cases--they give free consults.
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