According to the American Cancer Society, roughly 1 in 8 men will receive a prostate cancer diagnosis in their lifetime. Many other men will suffer from an enlarged prostate even without getting cancer, and the only treatment could be surgery.
Prostate surgery, however, carries many complications. And careless surgeons who do not follow the correct standard of care only make things worse for patients.
If you are feeling unwell following surgery, or if you suspect something is wrong, please contact our medical malpractice lawyer in Miami for more information. You could be entitled to compensation as part of a settlement or lawsuit.
Lack of Informed Consent
Florida Statute § 766.103 requires that doctors obtain informed consent before performing any medical procedure, including surgery. When it comes to prostate surgery, doctors must explain all options to a patient—including having non-surgical treatment or no treatment at all. Unfortunately, some doctors push surgery without giving patients all the facts.
For example, not all prostate tumors will grow fast enough that a patient needs surgery. This is particularly true of older men who are not expected to live more than 10 years. Watchful waiting or monitoring might be better options when men are very frail. Hormone treatment can also slow the growth, perhaps long enough for a man to live out the remainder of his life in comfort. Failure to explain all options and obtain informed consent could give rise to a lawsuit.
In other situations, a doctor could recommend surgery even after the tumor has spread to nearby or distant points. This could render the surgery unnecessary, especially for men who are already in poor health.
Mistakes When Removing the Prostate
Other errors relate to how doctors perform surgery. Doctors have several methods for removing a prostate:
- Open surgery, where the surgeon cuts into the abdomen to reach the prostate
- Laparoscopic surgery, where small holes are created in the abdomen
- Transurethral resection, where the surgeon reaches the prostate via the urethra
The correct choice of procedure depends on many factors, such as the size of the prostate. When it is too large, transurethral resection makes less sense and can, in fact, lead to injury.
A careless surgeon could also damage nerves and fail to sterilize a wound. Some complications, such as incontinence, are common—at least initially—though they should clear up after a month or two. But infections and permanent erectile dysfunction could stem from surgical error.
Miami Medical Malpractice Attorneys
For a free case analysis, call Dolan Dobrinsky Rosenblum Bluestein, LLP today at 305-371-2692.