We are experienced Illinois lawyers who will help you find the best attorney for your case.  If you would like a free consultation, call us at 312-346-5320 or fill out our contact form.  We are based in Chicago, but cover all of Illinois.  For more information on strokes in surgery, please read on.

Anytime you go in for surgery, it can be frightening. Even a small every day procedure can turn into something unexpected very quickly. One of those things is a stroke. For the majority of people, the chance you may have a stroke during or after surgery is as low as 1%. However, this can go up to 10% depending on your age, overall health and what exactly your surgery is for. Heart patients have the highest risk of stroke during or after surgery.

In one case in Cook County, Illinois, a patient was awarded $4.6 million dollars after having a stroke during surgery. In her specific case, the cause was the anesthesiologist using a technique that caused the patients’ blood pressure to drop below the normal range. In this case, the woman was 70 years old with a history of blood pressure issues and diabetes. The stroke left her unable to move part of body, which eventually improved, however she didn’t regain full strength on the left side of her body.

One of the most common reasons people have strokes during or after surgery is a blood clot. This of course causes a problem because one way to avoid blood clots is administering blood thinners. Having blood thinners in your system during surgery could seriously increase the risk of bleeding, however some research shows a simple dose of aspirin may be enough to help decrease the risks of bleeding and blood clots at the same time.

With an ischemic stroke, there is a problem with blood flow to the brain during or after surgery. The anesthesiologist has to monitor this during the entire surgery as the results can be catastrophic if a problem occurs.  Time is of the essence when this happens as within minutes brain cells begin to die.

All surgeries carry some risk. Not all surgeries carry catastrophic risks. Stroke being one of those catastrophic risks. If you or a loved one had a stroke during or after your surgery, you may have a medical malpractice or negligence case. Contact us to discuss your situation and get a free review to see if you have a claim.