When Surgical Positioning Goes Wrong: The Hidden Danger in the OR
In surgical positioning, the body is held in an unnatural position for an extended period. If done incorrectly, surgical positioning errors can lead to vital nerves and blood vessels being compressed or damaged. The result could be devastating injuries with long-term consequences, ranging from chronic pain and loss of mobility to permanent nerve injury.
What Is a Surgical Positioning Error?
A surgical positioning error occurs when a patient is improperly placed or inadequately supported on the operating table before or during surgery. Every procedure has an ideal position that allows the surgical team optimal access while protecting the patient’s physical integrity.
Common positioning methods include:
- Supine (lying flat on the back)
- Prone (lying face down)
- Lithotomy (legs raised and separated)
- Lateral (lying on the side)
- Trendelenburg (head lower than the feet)
Each of these positions carries its own risks if not executed and monitored properly. It is the hospital and operating room staff’s responsibility to ensure that the position is maintained safely throughout the procedure.
Types of Injuries Caused by Positioning Errors
The most serious outcomes of patient positioning malpractice are often nerve injuries, vascular damage, and musculoskeletal trauma. These injuries may not be immediately obvious and are often misattributed to surgical side effects, which is why many victims never realize what really happened.
Nerve Damage From Surgery
Improper positioning can compress nerves for hours, resulting in:
- Brachial plexus injuries (nerve damage in the shoulder/arm)
- Ulnar neuropathy (numbness and weakness in the hands)
- Peroneal nerve compression (foot drop or leg weakness)
- Sciatic nerve damage (chronic back and leg pain)
These injuries often manifest as pain, numbness, tingling, or loss of movement after surgery.
Circulatory Compromise
In some cases, poor positioning can restrict blood flow, leading to ischemia (oxygen deprivation in tissues), blood clots, or even organ failure.
These types of Colorado surgery injuries are preventable when staff follow established positioning protocols and monitor the patient throughout the operation.
How Operating Room Negligence Happens
Surgical teams are required to follow clear positioning guidelines based on the procedure, the patient’s body type, health conditions, and mobility. Operating room negligence may occur when:
- Staff fails to provide proper padding or support
- The patient is left unattended for too long
- The patient’s weight is distributed unevenly
- The patient’s position is changed mid-procedure without reassessment
- Communication breaks down between team members
- Equipment or restraints are improperly secured
Recognizing the Signs of Surgical Positioning Errors
If you woke up from surgery with a new onset of nerve pain, limited motion, or muscle weakness, it may be time to ask more questions.
- Was your pain or weakness located in an area not targeted by the surgery?
- Did doctors dismiss or minimize your concerns after the procedure?
- Has the hospital refused to explain what happened during surgery?
You have a right to know the full story. Often, it takes an independent medical expert to review surgical records and identify when positioning negligence occurred.
What Constitutes Medical Malpractice in Colorado?
If you want to file a successful medical malpractice lawsuit in Colorado, you must prove that:
- The healthcare provider owed you a duty of care.
- That duty was breached by failing to follow accepted medical practices.
- The breach caused your injury.
- You suffered damages as a result—physical, financial, or emotional.
With surgical positioning errors, the breach often involves failing to monitor patient placement or ignoring signs of vascular or nerve distress. Because these errors may be omitted from medical records, your legal team must conduct a thorough investigation and work with expert witnesses to build the case.
These Cases Require Experienced Legal Representation
Not every law firm is equipped to handle complex surgical malpractice claims. At Leventhal Puga Braley P.C., we focus on catastrophic medical negligence cases, with the resources and experience to:
- Obtain surgical logs, anesthesia records, and intraoperative notes
- Identify signs of undocumented OR error
- Retain nationally respected experts in surgical safety and neurology
- Demonstrate the long-term costs of nerve injuries and rehabilitation
- Hold hospitals and healthcare providers accountable under Colorado law
Our lawyers have secured some of the largest verdicts and settlements in Colorado’s medical malpractice history, and we continue to fight for patients injured by preventable hospital mistakes.
What to Do If You Suspect a Surgical Positioning Error
If you believe your injury may have been caused by patient positioning malpractice, it’s important to act quickly:
- Request your full medical and surgical records from the hospital.
- Seek an independent medical evaluation to assess your injury.
- Start keeping a symptom and recovery journal for documentation.
- Do not sign any waivers or accept compensation from the hospital without legal review.
- Contact a qualified Colorado surgical injury attorney as soon as possible.
Under Colorado law, you generally have two years from the date of injury, or the date when it should have been discovered, to file a malpractice claim. However, early legal intervention is critical to preserve evidence.
Speak with a Colorado Medical Malpractice Attorney Today
Surgical positioning errors have severe consequences. If the hospital is refusing to provide straight answers to your questions, we want to hear about it.
At Leventhal Puga Braley P.C., our team will listen to your story, analyze your records, and fight to uncover the truth. We charge no fee for initial consultations, and we only get paid if we recover compensation on your behalf.
Call (303) 759-9945 to learn more today.