When you undergo a surgery, you do it so you can come out feeling better and healthier. In some cases, there is a very serious medical issue that must be addressed. Unfortunately, sometimes, you may come out even worse than you were before you had the surgery. Mistakes can occur in the operating room, and these mistakes may lead you to bring a medical malpractice lawsuit against the responsible parties in order to get compensation for your injuries. Here are just a few types of surgery errors that can occur and often lead to malpractice claims:

1. Infections

It isn't at all uncommon to develop an infection after surgery, especially at the surgical site. In fact, a surgical site infection (SSI) is the most common infection associated with healthcare, according to research. In addition, although technological advancements have been made to reduce the risk of infection, SSIs continue to increase a patient's risk of a prolonged hospital stay by an average of 7.5 days and death. In some cases, these infections may have been caused by poor hygiene or neglect from various hospital staff, which is when you may want to seek compensation.

2. Falls

Believe it or not, it is possible for your body to fall off of the operating table. You may be knocked out due to the drugs, but your body is still living and breathing. Therefore, it is still "moving." Plus, the doctors and nurses will be shifting your body as needed in order to perform the surgery. When OR staff members fail to strap you to the table properly, you could fall and suffer a serious injury.

3. Foreign Objects

You've probably heard about medical instruments and sponges being left inside of patient's bodies after a surgery. Some think that these are just made-up horror stories, but they're actually true. In fact, according to a John Hopkins School of Medicine study, this happens more than 4,000 times a year. The retained foreign objects can be anything from a surgical sponge or towel to a pair of scissors, scalpels or clamps.

4. Wrong-Site Surgeries or Surgeries on the Incorrect Patient

As strangely and terrible as it sounds, it is something that actually happens. Doctors may sometimes switch patients and perform patient A's surgery on patient B and vice versa. In other cases, the patient may be right, but the right kidney may be taken out instead of the left kidney.

As a general rule, these surgical mistakes are one-hundred percent preventable. More often than not, these errors can be linked back to negligence on behalf of the facility or the medical staff. If you are the victim of a surgical inaccuracy, don't hesitate to contact an attorney in your area who can examine the facts of your case and help you decide how to move forward with your claim. You may also want to consider doing preliminary research on local lawyers by visiting their websites, such as http://www.scottandscottlaw.com.