ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is a blockage in one of the heart’s major arteries, resulting in a very serious type of heart attack. A STEMI is a life-threatening emergency, and any delays in receiving medical care can mean the difference...
Surgical Errors
The Injustice of Medical Malpractice Caps
McKeen & Associates attorneys and Kenneth Lee recently obtained a $550,000 settlement for a wrongful death arising out of the negligent placement of what was supposed to be a central venous catheter. As the name suggests, this catheter...
The importance of checking for contraindications before surgery
When undertaking any surgery, doctors must make sure the patient has no dangerous conditions that are “contraindications” – that is, reasons not to do the surgery. This is particularly true with elective surgeries and those which are not immediately...
Assistant to Convicted Doctor Found Culpable
recently won a court of appeals case against an assistant surgeon who worked along Dr. Aria Sabit. Dr. Sabit was a neurosurgeon who convinced dozens of patients to have spinal surgeries that they did not need. Dr. Sabit and his...
Hospitals nationally pay attention to Leapfrog’s graded assessments
“It doesn’t matter how sick you are,” says Leah Binder. “The surgeon and operating room team shouldn’t be leaving sponges or surgical tools in you.”We suspect that every one of our blog readers in Michigan and across the country...
Detroit Medical Center cited for jeopardizing patients’ health
Detroit Medical Center (DMC) could lose its federal funding due to multiple violations of infection control requirements. This marks the second instance of infection control violations by DMC in the last two years.The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMMS)...
Risks are present in same-day surgery centers
Patients who are having surgery might assume that they are going to the hospital for the procedure. This may not be the case. Many surgeons are turning to ambulatory surgery centers to do certain surgeries. The issue is whether these outpatient centers are safe for...
Robotics in the medical field are beneficial but still risky
Many surgeries use machines to assist the surgeons who are performing the procedure. While this is a good thing in most instances since machines aren't as likely to make mistakes as humans, there is still a chance that errors will be made.One thing that patients must...
Surgical site infections can lead to more invasive procedures
Having surgery can be an ordeal. Worry. Anesthesia. A lengthy healing process. In addition to the immediate danger of surgery, there can be risks afterward, too.One of the risks that comes with any surgical procedure is an infection of the surgical site. These can be...
Upcoming hospital procedure? Avoiding having it done in July.
Life is unpredictable. You can’t anticipate every turn of events that could lead to a hospital stay. However, if you’re having elective surgery or treating a non-urgent condition, you may have some flexibility in scheduling your procedure. If at all...