Medical Malpractice Among Orthopedic Surgeons in Greece: An Analysis of Court Decisions.
court decisions
manslaughter
medical liability
medical malpractice
orthopedic surgeons
Journal
Cureus
ISSN: 2168-8184
Titre abrégé: Cureus
Pays: United States
ID NLM: 101596737
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
Jun 2023
Jun 2023
Historique:
accepted:
07
06
2023
medline:
13
7
2023
pubmed:
13
7
2023
entrez:
13
7
2023
Statut:
epublish
Résumé
Introduction Medical malpractice occurs when a physician, through incorrect medical action or omission, causes the patient to suffer physical harm or loss of life. Orthopedics is a high-risk medical specialty. Orthopedic surgery encompasses a wide range of procedures, including joint replacements, fracture repairs, and spinal surgeries. While orthopedic surgeons strive to provide optimal care to their patients, medical liability claims are a reality they must face. The aim of this study is to analyze the epidemiological data of judicial decisions and cases in Greece for the Specialty of Orthopedics. Material and methods Published court decisions involving medical liabilities of orthopedic surgeons and anesthesiologists, or only orthopedic surgeons were searched, in the period between 1985 and 2021. The judicial decisions were analyzed by an experienced anesthesiologist and an orthopedic surgeon based on medical knowledge and experience. Patients' age, gender, date of operation and the causes that led to the doctors' persecution were also recorded. Results Seventy court decisions of the first, second, and third degree were found. These decisions related to 34 cases: seven convictions for manslaughter, 18 convictions for bodily harm, and nine acquittals - exempting compensation. They involved 11 men and 13 women. The claims mainly related to intraoperative and postoperative complications in 20 (83.3%) of the 24 cases. Complications in elective spinal and lower extremity surgeries represent 50% (n = 12) of cases, while postoperative complications account for 16.7% of cases (n = 4). Conclusions The present study concluded that an accumulation of experience in large orthopedic centers is needed to improve the performance of orthopedic surgeons during surgery and patient monitoring. Many legal cases are due to the mismatch between patient expectations and the limitations in medicine. Thorough preoperative control and better preoperative communication with the patient are needed, in order to improve the performance of orthopedic surgeons and prevent a significant part of the claims.
Identifiants
pubmed: 37440820
doi: 10.7759/cureus.40243
pmc: PMC10334456
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Pagination
e40243Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2023, Baxevanos et al.
Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts
The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
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