Anaesthetists are qualified doctors who have chosen to specialise in anaesthesiology. They administer anaesthetic to make areas numb for surgery and reduce the amount of pain you can feel.
There are two types of anaesthesia:
- General anaesthesia
Injection or gas that makes you unconscious during your operation.
- Local anaesthesia
An injection that is intended to number a smaller, specific area of the body. With local anaesthetic, you remain conscious.
What is anaesthesia awareness?
Administering and monitoring anaesthesia levels is a complex and specialist area. The anaesthetist is responsible for making sure your vital signs and organs are unaffected during surgery.
It’s their job to monitor you closely for any changes and bring them to the attention of the surgeon, if necessary.
With general anaesthetic you need to be closely monitored to ensure you remain unconscious. If the dosage is not correct, there is a danger of waking up during an operation – this is known as ‘anaesthesia awareness’.
Thankfully, mistakes are rare in this area of medicine, but there is an element of risk:
- Incorrect dosage of anaesthesia
- Drugs administered in the wrong order
- Medical professional unaware of existing conditions that could affect anaesthetic effectiveness
- Failure to adequately monitor signs of distress in a patient – heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen levels
- Leaving an anaesthetised patient unattended
Why make an anaesthetic failure claim?
Anaesthesia awareness can cause enormous psychological trauma, as well as physical symptoms.
Making a claim can recognise the pain and suffering (general damages) you’ve been through, together with any specific financial losses or expenses you have incurred as a result (known as special damages). This can include ongoing therapies and treatments, as well as loss of earnings.
How can First4Lawyers help?
Our specialist solicitors have many years’ experience in medical negligence claims, which can be difficult and complex.
They know how to put together a case to demonstrate breach in duty of care, leaving you to concentrate on recovery.
We also offer a No Win No Fee* service for medical negligence claims in England and Wales.
Only pay a fee if you receive compensation
Where we offer No Win No Fee services typically customers pay 25% of the amount recovered by our solicitors, although this will be subject to your individual circumstances and the actual fee may be less than this but it will never be more. Success fees are common practice and they were introduced when the law changed in April 2013.
First4Lawyers are an award winning claims management company with a track record of delivering service that our clients love.
Is there a time limit for making a claim?
Personal injury cases have to be raised within three years of the ‘date of knowledge’ – that is the date you became aware that a negligent action occurred.
I think I have a claim, what do I do next?
Contact us for a free consultation. We’ll ask you questions about what you have experienced so that we can give you specific advice relating to your individual circumstances.
Advice is free and comes with no obligation to do anything further, unless you want to.
