Surgery can be nerve-wracking for a multitude of reasons, one of the most concerning is the risk of hypoxia. Hypoxia occurs when there is a lack of oxygen in the body’s tissues, which can cause devastating outcomes for the patient.
Continue reading to learn how negligence can cause hypoxia to occur during surgery.
What Is Hypoxia?
The brain relies on a steady flow of oxygen to function properly. Even just a brief loss of oxygen- as little as 60 seconds- can cause brain cells to die. Since these cells don’t regenerate after damage, brain cell death is permanent. During surgery, if hypoxia goes unnoticed, patients are at risk for irreversible brain damage.
Feeling groggy after surgery is normal, but any side effects should resolve within a few hours. If the patient feels off hours or days following surgery, there may be a bigger issue. Signs of hypoxia to look out for include memory loss or concentration issues. Even something small, like forgetting a fact or name, could indicate brain damage.
Recognizing the signs of hypoxia is crucial since they can be easily mistaken as normal post-surgery recovery.
How Can Hypoxia Occur During Surgery?
Hypoxia can be caused by some medical conditions like COPD or asthma. However, it can also occur during surgery if medical providers fail to monitor the patient.
Anesthesia Related Causes
Anesthesia is used during surgery to put the patient to sleep and to prevent pain. It is a powerful drug, so patients’ vitals must be closely monitored following anesthesia being administered.
Hypoxia can occur due to anesthesia due to:
- Anesthesia Overdose: Every patient requires a different dosage of anesthesia based on age, gender, and weight. If too much anesthesia is administered, then it can lead to an overdose, which may decrease or stop the patient’s breathing.
- Respiratory Depression from Medications: General anesthesia temporarily paralyzes the body, including the muscles used to breathe. This causes some patients’ breathing to slow or completely stop, so they need to be intubated with an endotracheal tube. This tube is placed in the trachea to ensure the patient receives enough oxygen. However, if low oxygen levels are not recognized quickly, the patient may be at risk for brain damage.
- Inadequate Airway Management: Proper placement of an endotracheal tube is crucial for oxygen delivery. If the tube is misplaced or the airway is blocked, patients will not receive enough oxygen for their brains to function properly.
Oxygen Delivery Issues
During surgery, hypoxia can be caused by issues with oxygen delivery.
Common issues include:
- Ventilator Malfunction: Ventilators are equipped with alarms to alert medical providers when the equipment disconnects or there is low oxygen. However, a delayed response to these warnings could leave the patient with insufficient oxygen.
- Low Oxygen Supply: Pulse oximetry devices monitor the saturation of oxygen in the red blood cells. This device may not always detect subtle drops in oxygen saturation, which could lead to undetected hypoxia if not closely monitored.
- Blocked Endotracheal Tube: A clear airway is needed for oxygen delivery via an endotracheal tube. Blockages caused by mucus, blood clots, or tube defects can make oxygen delivery less effective. Any issues should be noticed promptly, if not then the patient may not receive enough oxygen.
Circulatory Causes
- Low Blood Pressure: Drastic drops in blood pressure can reduce oxygen supply to vital tissue and organs. If this goes unnoticed, the patient is at risk for hypoxia, organ damage, and even death.
- Cardiac Arrest: Cardiac arrest is a life-threatening emergency, if it is not promptly recognized. This causes hypoxia and the heart to stop beating.
- Blood Loss: Excessive blood loss during surgery can cause a lack of oxygen to the patient.
The time and extent of the oxygen deprivation will dictate the severity of hypoxia. However, it is important to note that even mild hypoxia can cause permanent brain damage.
The Consequences of Hypoxia
The severity of hypoxia depends on the duration and extent of oxygen deprivation. However, even mild hypoxia can lead to permanent brain damage, further emphasizing the importance of proper monitoring during surgery.
Mild to Moderate
Mild hypoxia occurs when the body’s tissue has a slightly lower amount of oxygen than normal.
It can cause:
- Concentration issues
- Attention problems
- Coordination issues
- Short-term memory loss
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Rapid breathing
- Sweating
- Numbness.
Severe
Severe hypoxia is a life-threatening condition where oxygen levels drop drastically.
Symptoms of severe hypoxia include:
- Memory issues
- Vision problems
- Speech difficulty
- Uncontrolled movements
- Extreme confusion
- Loss of consciousness or coma
- Rapid heart rate
- Bluish skin
- Organ failure
In the most extreme cases, hypoxia can cause severe brain damage, which can cause patients to fall into a coma or vegetative state, losing awareness of their surroundings.
Hypoxia can also be fatal, depending on how long the patient went without oxygen.
Contact our Cleveland Based Medical Malpractice Attorneys
If you or a loved one suffered brain damage due to hypoxia during surgery, it is important to know your rights. If these injuries were caused by a medical provider’s negligence, you may be able to sue for medical malpractice.
Contact our experienced attorneys today by dialing (440) 333-3800, or by filling out our contact form. We will reach out to you as soon as possible to set up your initial consultation.