1;Preface;9
2;Abbreviations;11
3;1 Principles of medical malpractice;15
3.1;1.1 Introduction;15
3.2;1.2 Notes concerning the history of medical malpractice;15
3.3;1.3 Defining malpractice;18
3.4;1.4 Statistical surveys;20
3.5;1.5 Summary;25
4;2 Errors, incidents and complications in general surgery;29
4.1;2.1 Introduction;29
4.2;2.2 Medical errors in laparoscopic cholecystectomy;29
4.2.1;2.2.1 Historical remarks;29
4.2.2;2.2.2 Statistics for medical complications;30
4.2.3;2.2.3 Complications specific to laparoscopic cholecystectomy;31
4.2.4;2.2.4 Surgical procedure, and possible causes of errors;34
4.2.5;2.2.5 Medical malpractice litigation after laparoscopic cholecystectomy;35
4.2.6;2.2.6 Informed consent;39
4.2.7;2.2.7 Real-life examples;39
4.2.8;2.2.8 Summary;41
4.3;2.3 Risks and possible errors related to minimally invasive or laparoscopic surgery;41
4.3.1;2.3.1 Introduction;41
4.3.2;2.3.2 Fundamentals underlying the technical standard and potential errors;41
4.3.3;2.3.3 Real-life examples;45
4.3.4;2.3.4 Summary;47
4.4;2.4 Complications and possible errors in inguinal hernia treatment;47
4.4.1;2.4.1 Introduction;47
4.4.2;2.4.2 Fundamentals of inguinal hernia surgery;48
4.4.3;2.4.3 Informed consent;49
4.4.4;2.4.4 Intra- and postoperative errors and complications;49
4.4.5;2.4.5 Real-life examples;52
4.4.6;2.4.6 Summary;54
4.5;2.5 Complications and errors in the surgical treatment of benign thyroid disorders;55
4.5.1;2.5.1 Introduction;55
4.5.2;2.5.2 Fundamentals of the surgical treatment of struma;55
4.5.3;2.5.3 Informed consent;56
4.5.4;2.5.4 Remarks concerning the surgical technique;56
4.5.5;2.5.5 Technical errors and complications;58
4.5.6;2.5.6 Prospects for new minimally invasive techniques;58
4.5.7;2.5.7 Real-life examples;59
4.5.8;2.5.8 Summary;60
4.6;2.6 Complications and errors arising in the diagnostics and treatment of acute appendicitis;60
4.6.1;2.6.1 Introduction;60
4.6.2;2.6.2 Fundamentals;60
4.6.3;2.6.3 Remarks concerning the surgical technique;62
4.6.4;2.6.4 Errors and complications;63
4.6.5;2.6.5 Real-life examples;64
4.6.6;2.6.6 Summary;64
4.7;2.7 Anastomotic insufficiency in the gastrointestinal tract as a frequent source of malpractice claims;65
4.7.1;2.7.1 Introduction;65
4.7.2;2.7.2 Fundamental concepts;65
4.7.3;2.7.3 Anastomotic leaks in the upper gastrointestinal tract;67
4.7.4;2.7.4 Errors and management of complications;68
4.7.5;2.7.5 Real-life example;69
4.7.6;2.7.6 Anastomotic leakage in the lower gastrointestinal tract - errors and risks;70
4.7.7;2.7.7 Examples of liability issues;71
4.7.8;2.7.8 Summary;73
4.8;2.8 Diagnostic and therapeutical errors in the treatment of acute abdomen;73
4.8.1;2.8.1 Introduction;73
4.8.2;2.8.2 Fundamentals;73
4.8.3;2.8.3 Malpractice claims and complications related to peritonitis and abdominal sepsis;76
4.8.3.1;2.8.3.1 Peritonitis with abdominal sepsis;76
4.8.4;2.8.4 Real-life examples;78
4.8.5;2.8.5 Ileus;80
4.8.6;2.8.6 Malpractice claims related to surgical ileus treatment;82
4.8.7;2.8.7 Real-life examples;82
4.8.8;2.8.8 Mesenteric ischemia;84
4.8.8.1;2.8.8.1 Diagnostic and therapeutic errors related to mesenteric ischemia;84
4.8.9;2.8.9 Real-life example;85
4.8.10;2.8.10 Summary;86
5;3 Retained surgical foreign bodies;107
5.1;3.1 Introduction;107
5.2;3.2 The issue of retained surgical foreign bodies;107
5.3;3.3 Risk management related to the prevention of RSFBs;109
5.4;3.4 Real-life examples;110
5.5;3.5 Summary;111
6;4 Quality management related to wrong-site surgery;115
6.1;4.1 Introduction;115
6.2;4.2 Statistical surveys;115
6.3;4.3 Root cause analysis;117
6.4;4.4 Risk management related to the prevention of WSPEs;119
6.5;4.5 Summary;122
7;5 Towards a preventive safety culture within the hospital;125
7.1;5.1 Introduction;125
7.2;5.2 Safety culture;125
7.3;5.3 Error management as part of quality management in the hospital;126
7.4;5.4 Error classification;128
7.5;5.5 The JCAHO