Undergoing any type of surgical procedure poses inherent risks. There can always be unforeseen and unpreventable complications that result in serious health consequences, but the risks increase significantly if medical malpractice plays a role.
One potential complication is an infection. When an infection is not treated properly—or is worsened by a medical professional’s negligence—it could potentially lead to an amputation.
If you have suffered an infection after surgery because of negligence in Atlanta, Georgia, you may be able to pursue a personal injury claim. At Malone Law Medical Malpractice and Severe Injury Lawyers, our team can assist you in navigating this process.
Contact us today at (770) 390-7550 to speak with an Atlanta medical malpractice lawyer about infections that can lead to amputation after surgery and how we can help.
How Malone Law Medical Malpractice and Severe Injury Lawyers Can Help After an Amputation Injury in Atlanta, GA
Surgical errors don’t occur only in the operating room. They can arise from pre-op mistakes, breakdowns in sterile technique, or negligent post-op monitoring and wound care. While infection is a known risk, healthcare professionals must take reasonable steps to prevent, recognize, and treat it.
If your surgeon or care team was negligent and you got an infection that ultimately led to amputation, you may be entitled to compensation. At Malone Law Medical Malpractice and Severe Injury Lawyers, our team in Atlanta, GA, is committed to helping you understand your legal rights and options for fighting for the compensation you deserve.
Our Atlanta personal injury attorneys can help by:
- Evaluating your case in a free, no-obligation consultation
- Investigating how the infection developed
- Gathering evidence to prove that medical malpractice occurred
- Establishing liability
- Calculating your full losses
- Negotiating with malpractice insurers and defense counsel
- Litigating if the insurance company refuses to offer a fair settlement
Our experience and dedication empower us to fight for the compensation that our clients deserve due to the misconduct of a medical professional. You shouldn’t have to navigate the system alone. Contact us to schedule a free consultation with one of our Atlanta medical malpractice attorneys today.
How Infections After Surgery Can Lead to Amputation
After surgery, your care team has to carefully monitor you for signs of complications, and that includes the development of infections. If you suffer an infection and it’s not treated quickly or effectively enough, sepsis can result. This is an extreme immune response that causes system-wide inflammation.
Sepsis can reduce blood flow. Your extremities, like feet and hands, may not receive as much oxygen and nutrients as they need, leading to necrosis (tissue death). You may develop gangrene, which causes the affected tissues to turn blue or purple and then black. Necrotic tissue can’t be saved, so it requires amputation to prevent the spread of the infection.
Another risk after surgery is that of being infected by flesh-eating bacteria. If you develop necrotizing fasciitis, you will most likely need to undergo an amputation since these are life-threatening bacteria that spread quickly.
Medical Malpractice and Infection After Surgery
Once signs of infection appear—fever, elevated white blood cell count, increasing pain, redness or drainage at the incision, low blood pressure, or altered mental status—healthcare providers should act quickly. When action is delayed, infections can escalate, making limb-sparing treatment less likely and increasing the risk of serious complications, including amputation.
A severe post-op infection may result from preventable errors, including:
- Breakdowns in sterile technique, such as improper instrument sterilization or failure to maintain a sterile field
- Inadequate wound care or failure to provide proper discharge instructions
- Medication errors, including failure to order indicated prophylactic antibiotics or to escalate therapy when cultures, labs, or clinical deterioration demand it
- Retained foreign objects, which can seed deep infections and other complications
Some of these issues are particularly challenging because you may not realize until much later why you developed the infection. Failing to timely and correctly diagnose and treat a post-surgical infection is a critical form of negligence that can quickly escalate a treatable complication into a devastating, life-altering necessity for amputation.
What You Must Prove in a Georgia Medical Malpractice Case
To prevail, you generally must show that a provider failed to meet the applicable standard of care and that this breach caused your injury, resulting in damages. Georgia law also typically requires filing an expert affidavit when bringing a professional negligence complaint, and strict deadlines apply.
Understanding the complexities of causation is critical; demonstrating a direct link between the substandard care and the specific harm suffered often presents a significant challenge. The type and extent of damages, including medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering, must also be meticulously documented to support your claim.
If you are dealing with complications from a hidden surgical error, contacting an experienced Atlanta personal injury lawyer is your first step toward seeking justice and compensation.
Contact Our Atlanta Medical Malpractice Attorneys for a Free Consultation Today
If you underwent surgery and malpractice resulted in an infection so serious that an amputation was required, you may be entitled to begin a medical malpractice claim. These are complex processes that require demonstrating that another medical professional would not have made the same error, so it’s essential that you have representation.
At Malone Law Medical Malpractice and Severe Injury Lawyers, our attorneys have decades of experience assisting people through these difficult claims. If you have suffered because of medical negligence, schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with one of our Atlanta medical malpractice lawyers today.