The Effects of Medical Errors — From a Doctor’s Perspective

A February 19, 2013, New York Time’s article, “Losing My Leg to a Medical Error”, by Op-Ed Contributor Frederick S. Southwick, a professor of medicine at the University of Florida, addressed the emotional and physical pain of being the recipient of another doctor’s mistake.

Southwick suffered an above-the-knee amputation this year as a result of a doctor’s error that occurred years ago. In the beginning, doctors had a hard time figuring out why Southwick did not have blood flow in his leg. Southwick didn’t have hardening of the arteries, high cholesterol, diabetes, had never smoked and had no blood vessels blocked elsewhere in his body.

After further examination, it was discovered that a medical error occurred in 1995 when Southwick had surgery on his Achilles’ tendon. To prevent bleeding during the procedure, a pressurized cuff was used on his knee to block the blood flow and was left on too long, injuring the arteries. The vessels progressively scarred and eventually blocked all blood flow to his lower leg.

Southwick writes that the loss of his limb is traumatic. He is in continual pain and has had to put his own work on hold. However, this loss has renewed Southwick’s commitment to his work of the past 20 years: studying how to prevent errors in health care.

Southwick writes that he is one of many who suffered injuries this year and that the Institute of Medicine estimates that there were as many as 98,000 deaths per year because of preventable errors in the American health system and that there are approximately 1 million patients seriously injured each year. He also details his former wife’s near-death experience due to another medical error.

According to Southwick, one way that mistakes could be reduced is by having checklists and specific protocols based on best practices for each procedure. Southwick believes if these practices had been implemented during his surgery 17 years ago, he would still have his leg. Southwick also advocates for better coordination and communication among caregivers.

In addition to saving lives and limbs, implementing new measures would reduce the cost of health care. The hospital bill for Southwick’s leg amputation was approximately $150,000, his prosthesis cost more than $50,000, and he lost months of work. If you experience injury as the result of a medical error, contact a medical error attorney about your options.