Anaesthetics
When you undergo surgery it is very common to have anaesthesia to numb an area of your body so that you cannot feel anything in that area or if using general anaesthesia, you will be unconscious.
It is rare that errors occur, but when they do they can have serious mental and physical impacts and can be a traumatic experience. If you’d like to speak with one of our personal injury solicitors and book a free case assessment, get in touch.
If you have suffered due to medical negligence, please contact us with any questions you may have. We are more than happy to answer your queries and assist you wish your matter should you choose to instruct us.
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What is an Anaesthetic Negligence Claim?
It may be confusing as to what you can claim for following issues caused by anaesthetic. In most cases, an anaesthetic negligence claim can be made when a medical professional has failure to keep you safe while you are being given anaesthetic.
Anaesthetic is used to numb your body before you’re going for surgery and when this goes wrong it can have terrible implications.
Types of anaesthesia
There are 3 common types of anaesthetics and depending on the surgery you’re going to have, which you are are given will vary. A breakdown of the 3 common types and when they would be used are below:
General anaesthesia
General anaesthesia is a combination of injections and gas. This affects the central nervous system and leaves the patient unconscious. Levels of general anaesthetic are maintained intravenously (through a drip) throughout the surgery. These are commonly used when a patient needs to be unconscious and is used for higher risk surgery.
Local anaesthesia
As you may have guessed, local anaesthesia is delivered to a specific area of the body to numb the area and reduce pain. The patient will maintain consciousness, but they should not be able to feel that area of the body. This is commonly used in dental practices where you aren’t required to be unconscious but will require the need for numbing in your mouth.
Regional anaesthesia
Regional anaesthesia is used for larger parts of the body that cannot be targeted by local anaesthesia alone. It is focused on major nerves and sometimes the spinal cord. Patients who are administered regional anaesthesia will remain conscious but won’t be able to feel in that area, often used for spinal injuries or larger leg surgery.
Consequences of anaesthetic negligence
The term “negligence” is used when a professional has failed to do something. Claims made against a professional for anaesthesia are often due to the person failing to seek consent to use anaesthesia or using the incorrect type.
These mistakes can lead to the following consequences.
- Nerve injuries arising from negligent treatment caused by injections, nerve blocks and epidurals
- Brain damage/stroke e.g. post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of awareness during a procedure
- Pain resulting from anaesthetic awareness
- Brain damage, strokes, nerve injuries and psychological damage
No Win No Fee:
Youngs Law offer no win, no fee for all of our medical negligence claims, so if you don’t win your case and receive compensation, you don’t pay us a penny. We will also wait for any fee to be paid to us when you receive you compensation and not upon winning you case.
Why Choose us?
Youngs Law have a team of experienced professionals that are dedicated to dealing with medical negligence claims and we offer no win no fee on all medical negligence claims.
You can speak to one of our lawyers for free today to talk through your experiences and whether you have grounds to make a claim. To get in touch with us, fill out a contact form or call us on the number above.
