Care rendered to a patient following surgery is called “postoperative care”.

Postoperative care commences at the moment the patient leaves the operating room. Care given during the immediate postoperative time period is typically rendered in the hospital’s or surgical center’s post anesthesia care unit (PACU), also commonly termed the “recovery room”. It is during this time that it is incumbent upon a patient’s healthcare providers to carefully monitor a patient’s status, including but not limited to their respiration and breathing, all of their vital signs, and, how the patient is “coming out” of anesthesia.

Once the patient leaves the recovery room, a different phase of postoperative care begins. Again, a patient needs to be carefully monitored in all respects. However, particular attention needs to be paid to determine if there are any signs or symptoms of postoperative bleeding, infection, and clotting. Patients whose condition warrants, or, those who have undergone more complex procedures where the nature of the surgery places them at higher risk for postoperative complications (e.g., cardiac surgery, transplants, vascular surgeries, etc.), may be placed in a specialized unit after they leave the recovery room, such as a cardiac care unit or intensive care unit. These specialized units or wards provide a higher level of postoperative monitoring than one would find in a typical post-surgical unit. It is important that each patient receive proper postoperative care to ensure that they are not placed at increased risk for unnecessary injury or death.

Postoperative care continues even after discharge from the hospital, and may last for many months, with ongoing follow-up visits to healthcare providers and, the administration of medication.

Blume Goldfaden attorneys and medical staff have the experience and expertise to determine if there were departures from medical standards in a patient’s postoperative care, and if such malpractice resulted in an unnecessary injury. Call us or send an e-mail for an evaluation at no cost to you.