Failure To Follow Accepted Standards Of Care And C-Section Rates

On behalf of Hastings Law Firm P.C. posted in Doctor Errors on Tuesday, May 13, 2014.

Many individuals likely regard cesarean sections as a beneficial, life-saving procedure that doctors can utilize in order to save either the life of an unborn child, a pregnant mother or both. However, there appears to be growing concern that some C-sections are not being performed under the correct circumstances. In Texas, the high rate of C-sections at some hospitals exceeds the current recommendations and might indicate some doctor’s failure to follow accepted standards of care.

One Texas mother is unsure of whether or not the two C-sections that she underwent were necessary or not. Despite standing at over five and half feet tall with what she describes as a large frame, her doctor warned that her pelvis might not be fitted to deliver a baby vaginally. In order to permit the woman to attempt a vaginal birth, her doctor induced labor over a week before she was due. After labor failed to progress rapidly, she says she was persuaded to have a C-section. Her next pregnancy also resulted in a secondary C-section, although she safely delivered a third child vaginally.

C-sections that are performed when unnecessary pose extra risks to the mother, including a higher mortality rate and risk of further complications. Of women who have experienced this surgery, 19 percent of them have apparently had issues with the initial incision at some point in the two months following the procedure. Overall, in the six months following the birth of a child, women who underwent C-sections reported lingering pain more often than women who delivered vaginally.

While it can be an invaluable, life-saving procedure, C-sections are considered a major surgery. Recovery from this surgery tends to take much longer than a comparable vaginal delivery, which can be difficult on a mother with a newborn child to care for. When performed unnecessarily, a mother may be exposed to risks and complications that she otherwise could have safely avoided. Anyone in Texas who feels as though they have been the victim of an unnecessary medical procedure due to a medical professional’s failure to follow accepted standards of care may be able to seek compensation through a medical malpractice claim. A successful litigation can help not only the victim through their difficulties, but it may influence the safety of future patients.

Source: Consumer Reports, “What hospitals don’t want you to know about C-sections”, , May 8, 2014