Surgical Site Infection Attorney in Pittsburgh, PA

Exposing the inside of the human body to outside bacteria always creates the risk of infection in surgical patients, making proper sanitation a vital aspect of any surgical procedure. In most cases, however, taking proper precautions during all stages of the surgery—including the post-operative phase—can drastically reduce and prevent surgical site infections. Increases in knowledge regarding the widespread nature of surgical site infections may have resulted in a correspondingly increased awareness of the need for caution in the form of surgical protocols and checklists designed to prevent these infections, but incidences of surgical site infections have continued to rise nonetheless. If you’re suffering from an infection after surgery, reach out to a Pittsburgh surgical site infection lawyer today.

Even in cases where the infection itself was perhaps unavoidable, your medical team has a legal duty to closely monitor your progress following surgery to prevent surgical site infections from becoming worse. When a medical professional fails to adhere to the protocols implemented by the hospital to prevent surgical site infection, you may be entitled to financial compensation via a lawsuit for medical malpractice.

At Matzus Law, LLC, our skilled medical malpractice lawyer brings years of experience to the table, and we have developed a reputation for exceptional legal representation in the community through our dedication to client service and our tireless work ethic. We know how important it is that you recover full compensation for your injuries and we put all of our substantial experience to work in making sure you are justly compensated for the harm you have suffered because of surgical site infection.

Common Causes of Surgical Site Infections

Surgical site infections can occur in any number of ways, some of which involve surgical risks that cannot be entirely eliminated through proper care on the part of your surgeon and medical team.  In other cases, however, surgical site infections are the direct result of a failure by a medical professional to follow generally accepted medical standards in order to prevent infections and the adverse consequences that can result. Surgical site infections can be caused by the negligent:

• Failure to properly sanitize surgical tools
• Failure to follow applicable hygiene and sanitation protocols during the surgery
• Failure to provide a sanitary surgical recovery area
• Failure to properly clean and dress the surgical wound during recovery
• Rushing of the recovery period, including failure to ensure the patient is properly monitored for an appropriate amount of time following the surgery
• Failure to follow the proper protocol to ensure that the patient’s own germs do not cause surgical site infection

Even if you are suffering from a surgical error, you may not immediately know what is causing your pain or discomfort—after all, the surgery itself is invasive enough to create post-surgical discomfort and complications even without an infection. Some signs that you may be suffering from a surgical site infection include:

• Swelling of the incision site
• An incision site that is hot to the touch
• Redness in the incision site that increases over time, or radiates from the actual surgical site
• Pain that increases with time, rather than decreases as is normal following surgery
• Puss or another drainage from the surgical site
• Fever
• Extreme fatigue that escalates
• Pain during urination

Skilled Malpractice Lawyer Helps Surgical Site Infection Victims Understand Their Legal Right to Compensation

In order to recover compensation for the harm caused by a surgical site infection, we must investigate to determine whether it was the medical provider’s negligence that directly caused that infection. Evidence of a medical provider’s negligence can be found by:

• Interviewing hospital employees to evaluate the protocols used by the surgical staff to prevent postoperative infections
• Examining the safety records of both the hospital and the particular surgical team to determine whether there has been a history of surgical site infections
• Consulting with reputable surgeons to determine whether the particular protocols in place adhered to those developed by the surgical community
• Reviewing your particular medical records to locate any evidence of a deviation from protocol

Schedule a Free Consultation with an Experienced Pittsburgh Surgical Site Infection Lawyer Today

If you or a loved one have suffered harm after contracting a surgical site infection in Western Pennsylvania, our lawyer is here to help. While the cause of your surgical site infection may not be immediately apparent, we have the resources to determine the root cause of the harm you have suffered so that you can get the compensation you need. To schedule a free initial consultation with an experienced Pittsburgh surgical site infection lawyer, call or contact our office today.

Frequently Asked Questions About Surgical Site Infection Claims

Are there any risk factors that can lead to a heightened possibility of contracting a surgical site infection?

Patients with weakened immune systems and the elderly are generally much more likely to contract surgical site infections than those with strong immune systems.  Additionally, the risk of contracting a surgical site infection may increase with the length of the surgery itself, as the body is exposed to potential contaminants for a longer period of time.  Patients who smoke, or who have diabetes or cancer, may also be at an increased risk for surgical site infections that make the use of even more stringent precautions before, during and after the surgery advisable. Because of the concentration of bacteria in the abdomen, abdominal surgeries also carry an increased risk of postoperative infections.

What are some of the negative consequences of surgical site infections?

While some surgical site infections resolve with simple antibiotics, others may be much more complex to treat, especially if the infection impacts the internal organ involved in the surgery. Additional surgeries might be necessary to correct problems caused by the infection, and the infection can even result in sepsis or death. Surgical site infections can impact the skin, muscle tissue and underlying organs and can cause damage to all of these areas if not promptly and effectively treated.