QUESTION

Errors made in recovery

Asked on Nov 14th, 2014 on Medical Malpractice - Oregon
More details to this question:
in 2012 I had cancer surgery to remove a portion of my lung. That all went wonderfully well, and I am cancer free today. On the second day of recovery, due to decisions made by recovery staff and PA's , they did not react to the fact that my system was shutting down due to too much pain medication. Apparently the lungs, kidney and heart shut down, and I had to be put on a ventilator and had to have my lungs attended to, and as a result I developed blood clots and have AFIB. I am faced now with AFIB forever and blood thinners and tests.. which .. I can't afford and I apparently can't live with out. This episode has change my life, change my activity level, I have short term memory issues ...etc.... I am a different person today than before the surgery. Just typing this is very tough, and the thought of those days in the hospital send me into a spin.( mentally). is there anything I can do?
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1 ANSWER

Catastrophic Injury Attorney serving Roseland, NJ at John J. Ratkowitz
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If you have specific information that the events were triggered by excessive pain medication, then you may have a case worth investigating, but atrial fibrillation following surgery can be a difficult situation to deal with because doctors have to balance the need for blood thinners against the possibility of post-op bleeding, and they are often between a rock and a hard place. I recently litigated a case involving the development of post-op atrial fibrillation, but the allegation in my case was that the doctors should have prophylactically bridged my client with anticoagulants before the surgery because he was at risk for developing atrial fibrillation while off anticoagulants.  If you want to investigate a case, you should contact a local medical malpractice attorney (one in your state).  They take these cases on a contingency basis which means you only have to pay if you succeed.  Additionally, initial consultations are usually free. You can use the "Find a Lawyer" service through this website to research medical malpractice attorneys.  Then, visit each attorney's website and look for a firm that has a record of successful verdicts.  Below are some articles you may find helpful.  They are written for a New Jersey audience (where I practice) but the ideas discussed in these articles usually apply in most other jurisdictions as well. Click here for an article that discusses the three main questions I ask when deciding whether to investigate a potential medical malpractice case. This discusses the issue of financial viability. Click here for an article that explains what you can and should expect when pursuing a medical malpractice case. Click here, here  and here for more information about me. Click here for summaries of some of the cases that I have litigated. Click here to review articles that I have published. Since I am a lawyer, I need to advise you of the following when I communicate with you: Please note that by attempting to answer your question, I am not acting as your attorney. I will do nothing further to protect or preserve your interests in the absence of any additional discussion with you about this matter. John Ratkowitz, Esq. Starr, Gern, Davison & Rubin, P.C. 105 Eisenhower Parkway Roseland, NJ 07068 Office: (973) 830-8441 Cell: (732) 616-6278 Fax: (973) 226-0031 Email: jratkowitz@starrgern.com  Click here for my website.  
Answered on Nov 15th, 2014 at 9:28 AM

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