If you believe that you or someone close to you has suffered harm due to a doctor’s error related to the diagnosis or treatment of aortic dissection, we can help. At DeFrancisco & Falgiatano Personal Injury Lawyers, our Syracuse medical malpractice attorneys can help you through the most complex malpractice claims. You can rest assured that we are committed to building strong cases for each and every client so that they can obtain the justice they deserve.
An aortic dissection is a medical emergency that must be treated promptly. The term refers to a tear in the inner layer of the aortic wall, which results in bleeding into the wall. Put another way, an aortic dissection is a serious condition in which the inner layer of the aorta tears, and blood surges through the tear, causing the inner and middle layers of the aorta to separate (dissect). The rest of the body has decreased blood flow and oxygen, while the heart becomes flooded under pressure. Since the heart now has to work harder, it can result in a heart attack or stroke. In addition, if the blood-filled channel ruptures through the outside wall, aortic dissection is often fatal.
Aortic dissection can easily be misdiagnosed, especially in a hectic emergency room setting, for a number of other conditions, such as a stroke, because the common symptoms are so general. Patients with high blood pressure are at a greater risk for aortic dissection, so their physicians should be closely monitoring the patient’s cardiac health. This is why thorough testing is critical to discovering and treating aortic dissection properly. Medical professionals will typically perform a CT scan, which is generally the starting point when aortic dissection is suspected, since it is a very accurate test.
When aortic dissection is overlooked, misdiagnosed, or improperly treated by a medical professional, you may be able to recover compensation through a malpractice claim. In the context of aortic dissection, malpractice occurs when a physician or hospital fails to diagnose an aortic dissection, and the patient suffers serious injuries or death. Of course, not all poor outcomes or adverse effects of medical treatment constitute medical malpractice. Instead, the aortic dissection must have been a result of a medical professional breaching the standard of care owed to the patient.
Malpractice claims allow victims of medical malpractice to recover compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering, loss of earnings, and disability. In cases in which a patient dies from the condition, the surviving family members may be able to recover damages for their losses through a wrongful death claim.