Just because you are undergoing an operation for cosmetic reasons, not a medical necessity, does not mean your surgical team does not owe you the same duty of care that every patient deserves under Florida law.
This is because every type of surgery carries some risk of complications, including cosmetic procedures. Surgery is invasive and usually requires the patient to be put under general anesthesia. A mistake by the surgeon, anesthesiologist or other member of the team can create the risk of killing the patient or leaving them permanently disabled. The stakes are too high to tolerate medical malpractice during cosmetic surgery.
Improper technique led to patient death
In a tragic example from Tampa, the Florida Board of Medicine recently voted to discipline a cosmetic surgeon in connection with the death of a patient in 2020. The patient went to the surgeon for a procedure known as a Brazilian Butt Lift, which involves injecting fat into the buttocks. But during surgery, the doctor injected the fat into the woman’s muscle, which the state department of health had banned in 2019.
Fat particles entered the woman’s bloodstream and blocked circulation. She stopped breathing on the operating table and died, despite efforts by paramedics to revive her and transport her to the hospital. She was a single mother with a son who was not quite 2 years old when she died. The representative of her estate later sued the surgeon for medical malpractice and settled out of court.
The financial burden of a doctor’s negligence
Surgical errors devastate families and force survivors to endure painful, debilitating disabilities. Compensation for pain and suffering, medical bills, lost wages and other things can at least help victims with the associated costs. A medical malpractice attorney can discuss your case with you.