Trocar Insertion Injuries from Laparoscopic Surgery

Laparoscopy or laparoscopic surgery is an operation performed in the pelvis or abdomen that uses small incisions with the aid of a camera. It is also known as keyhole or minimally invasive surgery.

Laparoscopic surgery can be used for cholecystectomy, which is the removal of the gall bladder, as well as appendectomies, hernia repair, and female sterilization. It can also be used to diagnose blockages, tumors, and infections.

Laparoscopy offers several advantages such as less bleeding, smaller incisions, and shorter terms of hospitalization. There is also less scar tissue formation and decreased postoperative pain.

Laparoscopic Surgery and Trocar Insertion Errors

While laparoscopic surgery is often seen as a beneficial procedure with a low risk of adverse events, there can be complications that can create a serious risk of injury or death. In February 2017, the Trial Lawyer Magazine reported that one case involving a woman who underwent diagnostic laparoscopy resulted in an artery and vein being lacerated and a jury awarding her $8,718,848.05.

A number of studies have been performed into laparoscopic surgery complications, including a 2000 study in the Journal of American College of Surgeons and a 2009 study in the Journal of Gynecological Endoscopy and Surgery. These studies have found that almost half of laparoscopy complications occur during initial trocar insertion for access to the peritoneal cavity.

What is a Trocar?

A trocar is a surgical instrument that is often used for withdrawing fluid and is inserted in the abdomen during laparoscopic surgery. Trocar injuries are commonly the result of people’s internal organs being too close to the point of trocar insertion or the trocar penetrating too far into the abdominal cavity.

Some of the most dangerous complications of trocar insertion can be vascular damage to the aorta and blood vessels or penetrating injuries. These injuries can seriously endanger the patient’s health and could prove to be fatal in some cases.

Contact a New York Trocar Injury Lawyer

Any kind of laparoscopic surgery error that causes injury or death could be grounds for a medical malpractice claim. In many cases, doctors can be liable for these injuries when there was a clear risk to the surgical procedures and there were possible inoperative ways to repair injuries.

You could also have a medical malpractice claim when they were not properly advised of the risks of the procedure or when there were other errors committed during surgery. If you suffered complications related to a recent laparoscopy procedure, contact the New York medical malpractice lawyers of Finz & Finz, P.C., by calling 1-855-TOP-FIRM today.