Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Wrong disc space level surgery: medicolegal implications.

Robert Goodkin1, Lewis L Laska

  • 1Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA.

Surgical Neurology
|March 20, 2004
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Developing a toolkit for comparing safety in spine surgery.

Instructional course lectures·2014
Same author

Imaging features of invasion and preoperative and postoperative tumor burden in previously untreated glioblastoma: Correlation with survival.

Surgical neurology international·2010
Same author

Assessing the effects of subthalamic nucleus stimulation on gait and mobility in people with Parkinson disease.

Disability and rehabilitation·2009
Same author

Useful C8 and T1 function seen immediately after a complete cervical spinal cord injury: report of 2 cases.

Surgical neurology·2009
Same author

Thrombosis and hemorrhage in the acute period following Gamma Knife surgery for arteriovenous malformation. Case report.

Journal of neurosurgery·2009
Same author

Treatment of arteriovenous malformations using Gamma Knife surgery: the experience at the University of Washington from 2000 to 2005.

Journal of neurosurgery·2009
Same journal

Commentary.

Surgical neurology·2010
Same journal

Implant design may influence delayed heterotopic ossification after total disk arthroplasty in lumbar spine.

Surgical neurology·2010
Same journal

Addendum to "In this issue...".

Surgical neurology·2010
Same journal

Anterior interosseous syndrome vs flexor pollicis longus tendon rupture: electrodiagnosis or sonography?

Surgical neurology·2010
Same journal

Transcranial/transnasal approach for nonpituitary sellar lesions.

Surgical neurology·2010
Same journal

What will you do with the rest of your life?

Surgical neurology·2010
See all related articles

Operating on the wrong disc level during spine surgery is a serious complication leading to litigation. Most cases identified were part of lawsuits, highlighting the need for improved surgical safety protocols.

Area of Science:

  • Neurosurgery
  • Spine Surgery
  • Medical Malpractice

Background:

  • Wrong-level disc surgery is a rare but significant complication in treating herniated disc disease.
  • This surgical error is often viewed as a breach of the standard of care, frequently resulting in legal action.
  • A high proportion of identified wrong-level surgery cases (68 out of 69) were involved in lawsuits.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the outcomes of litigation related to wrong-level disc surgery.
  • To identify the frequency and resolution of legal cases stemming from surgical errors in disc level identification.
  • To provide insights into the medicolegal implications of operating on the incorrect disc level.

Main Methods:

  • Review of 69 identified cases of wrong disc space level surgery.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Analysis of 65 lawsuit outcomes published in "Medical Malpractice Verdicts, Settlements and Experts."
  • Inclusion of cases from medicolegal reviews, news articles, and one case without a formal claim.

    • Main Results:

    • Out of 65 litigated cases, 37 were settled.
    • Plaintiffs received favorable verdicts in 18 cases.
    • Defendants won 13 cases, representing 42% of jury-decided cases.

    Conclusions:

    • The study highlights the prevalence of litigation following wrong-level disc surgery.
    • Recommendations include informing patients about potential risks and specific risk factors.
    • Implementing enhanced measures is crucial to minimize the occurrence of this surgical misadventure.