Common Hospital Mistakes and Errors Related to Sleep Apnea

This month, we covered the story of a Texas patient who underwent an operation to combat her sleep apnea – but ended up facing years of medical costs after the initial surgery allegedly caused more harm than good.
After the woman had an extreme surgery involving an uvulopharyngopalatoplasty, tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy, hyoid myotemy, and geniouglossus advancement, she found that not only did her original medical issue remain, she also had to undergo three more surgeries to fix the errors made in her initial diagnosis and treatment. In January, she filed a Texas medical malpractice lawsuit against the surgeon who performed the operation.

Sleep apnea affects an estimated 20 million Americans and these numbers increase each year. The health condition, which makes it difficult to breathe at night, has been found to increase the chance of high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke. There are three types of sleep apnea: central sleep apnea, obstructive sleep apnea, and complex sleep apnea. It is vital that your doctor understands the underlying cause of your sleep apnea before treatment begins.

• Sadly, medical malpractice incidents involving sleep apnea are too common in Texas doctors’ offices and hospitals.
• Sleep apnea is sometimes misdiagnosed as insomnia, depression, or hypothyroidism.
• Sleep apnea is sometimes not diagnosed at all, even in patients who report fatigue, sleep troubles, and breathing issues.
• Patients with sleep apnea are not properly monitored after a surgery, an issue that can result in a lack of oxygen to the brain or even death.
• Patients with sleep apnea are given prescription drugs that further cause difficulty breathing and other serious complications.
• Surgeons make mistakes during surgeries meant to alleviate the symptoms of sleep apnea.

If you or a loved one has been harmed because of a sleep apnea misdiagnosis, missed diagnosis, surgical error, or other medical malpractice incident, the Dallas medical malpractice attorneys at Rasansky Law Firm are here to help. We suggest taking advantage of our private, no-obligation consultations – an opportunity for you to tell us your story, get your questions answers, and connect with one of our lawyers. Call us today at (214) 617-1886 to schedule your meeting.