Complications of General Anesthesia

Anesthesia makes it possible for patients to undergo painful or invasive surgeries and medical procedures without pain. However, anesthesia mistakes can cause patients to suffer potentially life-threatening complications. When you’ve experienced health complications due to anesthesia, you may have a legal claim against your medical providers. Contact the Law Office of Kelley J. Johnson for a free initial consultation to discuss how we can help you recover compensation for your medical expenses, lost income, and pain and suffering.

How Can a Medical Malpractice Lawyer Help If You Suffered Anesthesia Complications

If you’ve suffered anesthesia complications, a medical malpractice lawyer can help you seek financial recovery for expenses or losses you incur as a result. The Law Office of Kelley J. Johnson can assist with your recovery by pursuing your legal claims so you can focus your time and energy on healing. Our firm will pursue the financial accountability you deserve from negligent healthcare providers by:

• Investigating your case to obtain evidence proving that your provider’s errors led to your anesthesia complications
• Working with medical experts to build a compelling case that can help you fight for financial recovery and accountability from negligent healthcare providers
• Documenting your injuries or complications and calculating your ongoing and future anticipated expenses or losses to determine what total compensation looks like in your case
• Evaluating your legal options for pursuing financial recovery and identifying potentially liable parties you might hold accountable
• Filing legal claims against your providers and handling communications and negotiations with insurance adjusters, hospital representatives, or defense attorneys
• Vigorously pursuing the financial resources you need to recover from anesthesia complications, whether through a negotiated settlement or by taking your case to court and trial to demand accountability and justice

Purpose and Types of Anesthesia

Doctors administer anesthesia during surgeries and other medical procedures to keep patients still. They also don’t want their patients to feel pain or discomfort during these procedures. Anesthesia may also sedate patients to avoid any emotional trauma that may result from watching a medical procedure performed on them. Medical professionals use three types of anesthesia:

• Local Anesthesia – Healthcare providers administer a local anesthetic to numb a specific body part. Doctors typically use local anesthetics for less invasive procedures, such as stitching wounds, dental work, or biopsies. Patients typically remain awake and mobile while under local anesthesia. Local anesthesia usually wears off within a few minutes or hours.
• Regional Anesthesia – Regional anesthetic numbs a larger portion of the body than local anesthesia. Doctors use regional anesthesia, such as epidural anesthesia or spinal blocks, for more invasive or painful procedures like childbirth. Regional anesthesia may include some level of sedation, although patients typically remain awake, if potentially groggy.
• General Anesthesia – Doctors typically reserve general anesthesia for invasive surgical procedures. General anesthetics include a sedative that puts a patient to sleep, a paralytic that prevents the patient from moving, and a nerve blocker so the patient does not experience pain or regain consciousness during a surgical procedure.

Common Types of Anesthesia Complications

Improper administration of anesthesia can lead to various types of health complications. Typical examples of complications from anesthesia include:

• Stroke or heart attack
• Hypoxic or anoxic brain injury
• Respiratory problems
• Damage to the respiratory tract
• Allergic reactions or anaphylaxis
• Nerve damage
• Blood clots
• Nausea and vomiting
• Body chills
• Confusion

More serious yet rare complications that can occur during the use of anesthesia include:

• Anesthesia Awareness – Administering too little anesthesia or stopping the administration of anesthesia during a procedure may lead to unintended intraoperative awareness. A patient may slowly wake up during an invasive procedure or begin feeling pain. The patient may be paralyzed and unable to move. Such accidental awareness has led to some patients developing post-traumatic stress disorder.
• Malignant Hyperthermia – In rare cases, patients may suffer a severe reaction to anesthesia known as malignant hyperthermia, which can cause fever and muscle contractions.
• Respiratory Distress – General anesthesia may pose a risk of causing respiratory distress for patients with chronic respiratory conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or obstructive sleep apnea since anesthesia can cause their throat to close up and restrict oxygen flow.
• Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction – Older adults may suffer from postoperative delirium or cognitive dysfunction as they recover from anesthesia. This condition can cause long-term memory loss and cognitive issues, such as difficulties with learning or following instructions.

Signs Anesthesia Complications Are Medical Malpractice

When a patient suffers serious problems or health complications while under anesthesia, the harm they suffer may result from medical malpractice when members of the anesthesia team make avoidable errors during the procedure. Before a procedure involving the use of anesthesia, common signs of malpractice can include:

• Failing to review the patient’s medical history for potential contraindications for the chosen anesthetic, such as health issues or other pain medications or prescriptions the patient is taking or identifying known risk factors
• Failing to educate the patient about anesthesia risks
• Not providing the patient with preoperative instructions, such as requiring the patient to fast for a certain amount of time before the procedure

Avoidable mistakes that an anesthesia team may make during medical procedures include:

• Miscalculating the dosage and administering too much or too little anesthesia
• Administering the wrong type of anesthesia
• Improperly intubating the patient
• Failing to administer oxygen
• Failing to monitor the patient’s vital signs
• Failing to recognize signs of complications
• Failing to advise the surgical team of potential complications or worsening vital signs

Malpractice errors involving anesthesia that can occur after a procedure include:

• Leaving the patient sedated for too long
• Failing to monitor a patient still under anesthesia
• Failing to provide the patient with post-anesthesia instructions
• Failing to follow up with the patient to check for signs of anesthesia side effects or complications

Contact Our Medical Malpractice Attorneys for a Free Consultation

When you’ve suffered health complications due to anesthesia malpractice, get the legal help you need to demand financial recovery and accountability from your medical providers. The Law Office of Kelley J. Johnson has a singular focus on medical negligence claims and nearly two decades of experience fighting for the rights of patients who have suffered complications and injuries due to medical professionals’ carelessness.

Contact the Law Office of Kelley J. Johnson today for a free, no-obligation case evaluation with a medical malpractice attorney to discuss your options for pursuing the compensation you deserve. We will listen to your story, explain your legal rights, and help you determine your best path forward.