A surgery involving a baby can be delicate, especially if the procedure involves the heart. A New York parent may want the best possible care in such a case, but in many instances, it can be difficult to find the records of available facilities in order to evaluate the success rates with cardiac surgeries for babies. An investigation by CNN into a Florida hospital with excessive fatalities after heart surgeries on babies has focused attention on the issue of quality programs.
The hospital featured in the investigation was shut down as a result of the CNN report. The hospital had a record of nine deaths over a period of more than 3 years. There were other close calls in which babies were transferred to other facilities for attention. Surgeons who deal with such emergencies indicate that their jobs are much harder in these cases because of the poor condition of a child when care is transferred. In some cases, they report that incorrect procedures have been performed. In other cases, hospitals with poor records lack sufficient staffing to ensure that there is knowledgeable help available in an urgent situation. The complexity of heart surgery makes ample staffing and extensive experience important for optimum results.
Some insurance providers have taken note of the records of various hospitals that perform heart surgery on babies. Significant savings are realized as they send families to facilities with excellent success rates in this field. Unfortunately, Medicaid does not provide such information to parents, leaving these families at risk if their children face surgery in centers with poor success rates.
Even a top-rated medical facility can make surgical errors. A parent dealing with the aftermath of an adverse outcome might wonder what went wrong. If there are suspicions of an error during the procedure, it might be beneficial to have a lawyer evaluate the situation.
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