Massachusetts Gastroenterologist Malpractice Lawyers, Boston
Gastroenterologists, also known as GI doctors, are medical professionals who diagnose and provide treatment for a variety of conditions that affect the digestive tract. A person’s digestive system has a significant influence on a person’s health, which means that improper or inadequate treatment of this body system can result in serious injuries. The digestive tract includes the stomach, small/large intestines and liver.
Gastroenterology is a specialty and once doctors complete medical school they have to go on to complete a residency program in internal medicine. After completing their 2 year residency, gastroenterologist has to go on and complete a 3 year fellowship in gastroenterology. During their residency they learn how to treat chronic gastrointestinal disease and acute gastrointestinal conditions. Gastroenterologists can then get trained in the following sub-specialty fields of GI oncology, gastric medicine or gastrointestinal radiology.
Most gastroenterologist deal with the following conditions and procedures: digestive problems involving diarrhea, heartburn, abdominal pain, bleeding bowel movements; irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and other chronic disease like Crohn’s disease
Procedures Perform by Gastroenterologists
To correctly diagnose most digestive problems, gastroenterologists must look inside of a person’s body. The most common tests conducted by gastroenterologists are endoscopies which involve a very small camera that is connected to a tube and placed down a person’s throat. Some of the other common tests performed by gastroenterologists include the following:
- Colonoscopies: The purpose of a colonoscopy is to assess whether any abnormalities exist inside of a person’s large intestine. Colonoscopies are often used to check for polyps, possible cancers, and tumors.
- ERCP: This test is designed to detect conditions that affect the bile ducts, gallbladder, and pancreas.
- Flexible sigmoidoscopy: Physicians use this test to examine the last portion of a person’s colon as well as the rectum.
- Infra-red coagulation therapy: This tests is most often used by medical professionals for the treatment of hemorrhoids.
- Ostomy exams: People who have ostomy implants are required to receive routine examinations to make sure that the device is working properly.
- Pouch exams: These procedures are similar to ostomy exams and involve a physician examining the inside of a Surgical j-pouch.
- Upper endoscopies: This procedure is used to help physicians look inside of the esophagus, small intestine, and stomach. Most often, this test is recommended for people who have heartburn or internal bleeding in the upper digestive tract.
- Video capsule endoscopies: These tests involve a patient swallowing a small camera that takes pictures as it travels through a person’s digestive tract.
How Medical Malpractice Commonly Occurs in Gastroenterology
Most digestive conditions are capable of being treated without any serious complications. Sometimes, however, gastroenterologists fail to meet the accepted standard of care in the profession, which results in people being hurt. Some of the most common reasons that patients are impacted by gastroenterology include:
- Errors during surgical procedures. Some gastroenterological conditions require surgical intervention. When errors occur during these procedures, however, the results can be particularly serious.
- Failure to follow up with patients. It is important that medical professionals adequately monitor patients after they have had surgical procedures or when patients are considered at risk of serious complications. Failure to adequately follow up on these patients can result in them facing much more serious medical conditions.
- Failure to order tests that considered appropriate for a patient’s symptoms and health risks. Failure to perform the proper tests frequently results in a patient’s condition growing much worse.
- Improper administration of anesthesia. It is critical that gastroenterology procedures requiring anesthesia involve the adequate dosage of medication because serious complications can arise otherwise.
- Misinterpretation of test results. Gastroenterologists sometimes misinterpret test results or fail to detect the presence of serious conditions, which frequently leads to incorrect diagnoses.
Discover How a Medical Malpractice Attorney Can Help Your Case
If you have been impacted by negligent medical care, the attorneys at The Law Offices of Gerald J. Noonan understand how overwhelming your situation can be. For over 35 years, our law firm has helped medical malpractice victims and their families navigate various legal obstacles to obtain the compensation they deserve. Contact our law office today to schedule an initial free consultation.
We offer a free, no-obligation legal consultation to help you understand your rights and the value of your case.
Our medical malpractice trial lawyers assist clients throughout all of Massachusetts including, but not limited to, those in the following counties, cities and towns: Plymouth County, Brockton, Plymouth, Bridgewater, Marshfield, Hingham, Duxbury, Wareham, Abington, Rockland, Whitman, Hanson, Holbrook, Middleborough; Norfolk County including Quincy, Stoughton, Dedham, Weymouth, Braintree, Avon, Holbrook, Randolph, Canton, Sharon, Brookline, Franklin; Bristol County including New Bedford, Fall River, Taunton, Attleboro, Westport, Dartmouth, Mansfield, Easton, Raynham, Lakeville, Norton; Cape Cod, Hyannis, Falmouth, Barnstable and the Greater Boston area including Cambridge, Somerville, Medford, Everett, Lawrence, Lynn, Revere, Dorchester, Roxbury.
