Every single year in America, some 600,000 men and women undergo some type of spinal surgery. Many go just fine and patients see a vast improvement in their quality of life. Sadly, many do not. In fact, a study conducted at Duke University found that, out of every 100 surgeries to implant a spinal stimulator, one patient ends up with spinal nerve damage. While 1 percent may not seem like much, to patients like Rick Greenwood, it was more than enough.
He suffered from severe back pain and was unhappy with the way his pain killers were affecting his life. Fed up, he sought out a spinal stimulator, which was supposed to relieve the pain without the host of side effects that drugs cause. Unfortunately, the surgery went wrong and he ended up paralyzed. The blood clot he experienced is one of the side effects of the stimulator. Others have experienced nerve damage, strokes, heart attacks and infection from the same surgery.
No surgery is without risk. Surgeons are human and make mistakes. Medical devices can be poorly designed and not clearly vetted. But sometimes negligence plays a role as well. And, when the victim ends up with a permanent disability, should they be saddled with the the ongoing expenses of long-term medical care?
Of course not. That?s where a Florida attorney can be of great help. He or she can listen to your case and may be able to fight the insurance companies to get compensation for medical bills, loss of wages and pain and suffering.
Source: abc11.com, “TOUGH QUESTIONS YOU SHOULD ASK BEFORE UNDERGOING SURGERY,” Denise Dador, May 13, 2015