As an anesthesiologist, you carry a very important role in the operating room. And so, if any complications arise during surgery, a patient may place the blame on you. This may lead to consequences, such as the loss of your medical license. Read on to discover whether your anesthesiologist license can be revoked and how one of the seasoned New York health care professional defense lawyers at Walker Medical Law can work to prevent this.
As an anesthesiologist, can my medical license be revoked?
First of all, as an anesthesiologist, you are responsible for monitoring a patient during their surgical procedure; this is so they do not experience any complications while under anesthesia. Complications with anesthesia may cause a patient to experience a severe allergic reaction, a serious stroke or heart attack, or otherwise significant bodily injuries. In a case like this, a patient may accuse you of medical misconduct. They may back up this accusation with any of the following reasons:
- A patient may claim that you failed to look at their medical history, height, and weight to determine the right type and dosage of anesthesia.
- A patient may claim that you negligently mixed up their chart with that of another patient when determining the right type and dosage of anesthesia.
- A patient may claim that you failed to monitor their blood pressure, heartbeat, and oxygen levels to ensure that they were not having an adverse reaction to the anesthesia.
- A patient may claim that you failed to communicate their potentially adverse reactions with the other healthcare professionals in the operating room.
That said, any accusation of medical misconduct may be directed to the New York State Department of Health’s Office of Professional Medical Conduct (OPMC). The OPMC will then be prompted to investigate you and summon you to a hearing. Ultimately, after your hearing, the board may find you guilty and revoke your medical license.
What other potential penalties might I face?
While the OPMC board may decide against revoking your medical license altogether, your guilty sentence may prompt them to place other penalties against you. For example, they may place a temporary suspension of your medical license; this suspension may be lifted once you complete the retraining, education, or rehabilitation courses that they require of you. On the other hand, they may decide to restrict your medical license so that you cannot practice anesthesiology anymore.
This is not to mention that a patient may also place a medical malpractice lawsuit against you. This may come with its own set of consequences, such as having to pay for the patient’s damages, attorney fees, and more.
You cannot ignore your upcoming OPMC hearing for much longer. Instead, you must retain the services of one of the competent New York healthcare professional defense lawyers from Walker Medical Law today.
