The possible risk of distractions during a surgical procedure

It is no secret that preparing to undergo a medical procedure can be an intimidating process. Even with a minor procedure, you might have concerns about the potential risks involved and hope that the team performing the operation will be fully capable of taking every necessary measure to provide a certain standard of care.

Prior to initiating the operation, your doctor may provide you with information on some potential risks, but this discussion might not cover the topic of surgical errors. Errors can occur under various scenarios and during any stage of your operation, especially if members of the surgical team become distracted.

Causes of distraction

As surgical procedures may require constant focus, anything that proves distracting to surgical team members could carry dire repercussions. Some possible sources of distraction and potential hazards involved could include:

• Loud music: Some surgical teams may choose to play music during an operation and studies indicate that loud music can be a distraction.
• Cell phones: Surgical team members who step away from an operation to take a phone call may leave the team short-handed. When they return, their minds may still be thinking about the conversation.
• Teaching: If surgeons use an operation to teach lessons to staff members, the process could also disrupt concentration and lead to a divide of attention.
• Multitasking: Surgical team members who attempt to perform two or more tasks at a time may find that their focus divides between each task, and lack of focus could prove hazardous.
• Communication: Any type of distraction during a procedure could disrupt communication between team members, and lack of communication could increase the risks of errors.

Surgical distractions can come in various forms and fashions, and even a moment of inattention during a minor operation could lead to a medical error that might place your well-being in jeopardy.

Outcome of errors

While preparing to undergo a surgical procedure, you likely expect the operation to have a positive impact on your health, but things might not always go as planned. If distractions lead to errors, there is a chance you could suffer severe or even permanent harm in the process. A similar experience could leave you with questions about the next steps to take to hold the responsible parties accountable and pursue the full amount of compensation to which you’re entitled to receive.