When you go to your doctor, you may uphold the same belief as many other people; that your wellbeing is solely in the hands of the people caring for you. While this is true to a point, you also have patient rights. These entitlements are designed to protect you and give you the highest possible chance at receiving quality and compassionate care. At Futterman, Sirotkin & Seinfeld, LLP, we have helped many people in New York to effectively deal with the consequences of medical malpractice.
Understanding your rights as a health care patient
Are C-sections dangerous?
Many women undergo Cesarean deliveries every day in New York hospitals. According to the Mayo Clinic, a C-section is a surgical procedure that comes with risks over a vaginal delivery. However, vaginal deliveries also have risks. Getting a C-section is often the only option to preserve the health and safety of you and your baby. Sometimes a C-section is less risky than trying a vaginal delivery.
Why is cancer often misdiagnosed?
A cancer misdiagnosis, whether positive or negative, is a serious issue for New York medical providers. Telling someone they have cancer when they do not can lead to unneeded stress and medical procedures. Not diagnosing cancer in a patient can be even more serious. If you are misdiagnosed and you really do have cancer, it can allow time for the cancer to grow and spread, making it more difficult to treat. You may wonder why cancer is misdiagnosed and if it happens often.
How and why hospital air becomes contaminated
While recovering in a New York City hospital, it is important for patients to breathe in air free of deadly pathogens. However, not all health care facilities maintain quality air as they should. In fact, according to Hughes Environmental, the Centers for Disease Control estimates as many as 1.7 million people contract infections from staying in a hospital. Many of these infections are due to contaminants carried by the hospital’s air.
Be on the lookout for post-anesthesia problems
Anesthesia helps surgical patients get through their operations without experiencing pain or witnessing the unsettling experience of the surgery itself. However, this does not mean that after effects of anesthesia will not arise when the patient wakes up, recovers in a hospital, or even when the patient goes back to his or her home in Queens. Sometimes a person may experience harmful and even long lasting repercussions from being put under.
Dealing with senior wandering in nursing homes
Many people who know that their senior relative is prone to wandering are troubled and frightened for their loved one, particularly if their elder relative lives in a New York City assisted living facility and requires monitoring. You may have to choose a nursing home or facility based on why your senior wanders. Wandering is a problem many nursing homes deal with, and how they handle it can depend on the reasons a senior chooses to wander.
Can waking up during surgery be traumatizing?
The act of opening up a person during an operation is a major reason why many patients do not want to be aware of their own operations as they occur. Fortunately, general anesthesia is enough to keep a person sedated while the surgery is in progress, sparing them from any disturbing sights and sounds. However, a report from New York’s WLNY station revealed that some patients do wake up during surgery with traumatizing results.
What are some tips for choosing a good surgeon?
If you need to undergo surgery, you are probably quite nervous as it is, but one thing that often calms the nerves is knowing you have a good surgeon. While there are many great surgeons in New York, you cannot afford to be careless with your health and safety. It helps to do your research first and know that when you go under the knife that you are in good hands.
What are the risks of a forceps delivery?
Sometimes the actions your doctor takes during delivery to try to help you and your baby can actually do more harm than good. One such situation that may occur in a New York hospital is the use of forceps during delivery. While forceps can and have been used many times to successfully help deliver a baby without having to resort to surgical methods, they have also caused undue harm to newborns when used incorrectly or by a doctor who was not trained properly.
