Medical Malpractice and Cosmetic Surgery

If you are a victim of a cosmetic surgery error, you may need the help of a Missouri medical malpractice attorney.

A plastic surgeon can commit costly errors in the process of carrying out cosmetic and elective procedures. When this happens, it is possible to file a medical malpractice lawsuit against the medical professional responsible for the errors.

Errors and Risks Associated with Cosmetic Surgery

Cosmetic surgeries are rather common in the United States, where about two million procedures are believed to be performed annually. In addition, around nine million less-invasive procedures are executed annually. There are different types of cosmetic surgeries, including rhinoplasty, liposuction, breast augmentation, lip augmentation, breast reduction, and tummy tucks. These different elective procedures may involve medical malpractice with dire consequences. The risks involved in cosmetic surgery include blood clotting beneath the skin (hematoma), scarring, infection, and drop in blood pressure. Dead tissue due to inadequate supply of oxygen, allergic reactions to use of anesthesia, and nerve damage are some of the unpleasant complications that could also arise. These could even lead to the death of a patient.

Cosmetic Surgery Malpractice

Medical professionals are expected to follow certain standards when it comes to helping patients deal with issues that may be troubling them. A surgeon could therefore be charged for medical malpractice if he/she fails to provide a patient with the level of care and treatment he/she is expected to provide. In this case, a plastic surgeon could be charged with failure to provide treatment in accordance with established medical standards. It is expected that a patient should be made aware of risks inherent in surgery and the possibility of their occurrence before a procedure is performed.

Medical Malpractice Litigation

Victims of cosmetic surgery malpractice are left not only with severe complications, but also in serious need of additional costly procedures to correct the errors. A patient may therefore want to consider taking legal action. But to be successful in filing a medical malpractice lawsuit, you should be able to prove the existence of a surgeon-patient relationship and negligence on the part of the surgeon. You should also be able to tie the injuries suffered to errors committed by the medical professional during surgery.

Important Facts on Medical Malpractice Lawsuits

There is usually a statute of limitations, which varies among states, stipulating the limit of time a patient has for filing a medical malpractice lawsuit from the time of injury suffered as a result of medical negligence. For example, the limit is five years in Missouri.

The victim may also require the assistance of an experienced Missouri medical malpractice attorney to guard against any legal hassles and even jury prejudice. Although they are required by law to be objective, jurors may find it hard to completely eliminate personal opinion or subjectivity. Therefore, a juror could easily become biased against a patient on the grounds that plastic surgery was not necessary to start with.

If you have been a victim of a cosmetic surgery error and you believe the surgeon is responsible, call us today at (314) 588-7200 to schedule a free consultation.

photo credit: Kaz Andrew