Surgical mistakes can happen, despite picking the best doctor in the best medical facility in town. Though surgeons and doctors have years of training and experience and take a great deal of care to avoid errors, they aren’t infallible. And sometimes they are simply negligent.
New York women who are concerned about receiving a diagnosis of breast cancer may be overwhelmed about the amount of information they will receive. However, understanding the diagnosis and treatment processes can help.
When New York doctors suspect that their patients might have cancer, there are certain steps they need to take before they can make a formal diagnosis. For example, a doctor may ask for family medical history, perform a physical exam and order lab tests to get started. If the lab test results are abnormal, the doctor may then order imaging tests or even a biopsy.
Birth injuries occur in hospitals in New York and around the country far too often. In late September, a jury awarded $3 million on behalf of a boy who was injured during delivery. The incident occurred almost a decade ago.
The portion of the elderly population in New York that lives in long-term care facilities depends on caregivers to make effective medical decisions. A patient advocacy organization in a neighboring state has raised the alarm about the inappropriate use of antibiotics in nursing homes and the threat of antibiotic-resistant organisms.
When New York patients have cancer that has not yet been diagnosed, it can spread to other parts of the body including in or near the eye. However, these malignant tumors may not be diagnosed unless they affect the vision, become visible to the patient or cause the eye to be pushed forward.
New York patients who are at risk for skin cancers should be on the lookout for Merkel cell carcinoma, a rare type of skin cancer that is known for spreading quickly throughout the body within a short time. Although it is rarer than melanoma, it has a higher mortality rate as it kills one in three patients while melanoma kills one in nine patients.
