Heart Conditions and Anesthesia

Specialized doctors are responsible for making sure anesthetized patients remain safe while they undergo surgical procedures. Unfortunately, problems still sometimes arise, either through the negligence of medical professionals or simply because of unforeseeable complications. The risk for these complications is elevated when the patient has existing heart problems.

Over 25% of surgical patients are victims of heart disease. This means that the stress anesthesia puts on a person’s circulatory system is compounded in a quarter of all operations. If your condition is not fully discussed prior to a procedure and you are injured due to a doctor’s negligence, you may want to consider pursuing a medical malpractice lawsuit.

What Causes the Increased Risk?

Anesthetics can increase the risk for arrhythmic heartbeat, especially for people who have or are currently suffering from problems with arrhythmia. In addition, when the heart itself is the surgical site, monitoring the patient’s vital signs (an important part of keeping the patient safe) can become complicated. Specialized drugs may also be necessary for those with heart issues, inherently raising the risk for dangerous reactions.

If you are planning a procedure that will require anesthesia and have heart problems, it is important to discuss the topic at length with your anesthesiologist.

Contact a Philadelphia Anesthesia Malpractice Lawyer

If you or someone you love has been injured during anesthesia due to the negligent actions of a medical professional, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact the Philadelphia medical malpractice lawyers of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C. at 215-238-1130 today.