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Right Patient, Right Site, Right Surgery

You've probably heard about the man who had the wrong leg amputated. Or the woman who went in for a gallbladder operation but had heart surgery instead. Avoiding mistakes like this is the goal of every hospital, doctor, and patient.

The North American Spine Society (NASS) has suggested using a systems-based approach to avoid these mistakes when treating spine surgery patients. Medical care and especially surgery is complex. More than one step is needed to prevent mistakes.

The SMaX system and the Universal Protocol are two methods used to reduce medical errors. Three steps are included: 1) Review the record (make sure it’s the correct patient), 2) Mark the side or level to be operated on, and 3) Recheck before starting the operation. A checklist of steps to ensure patient safety is used. Relying on memory is just another way to miss a step resulting in an error.

Many medical errors are preventable. A systems review is advised. This is much like the preflight checklist used by pilots before flying an airplane. It gives the surgeon an organized way to review important information about the patient, site, and surgery. The result is a safe and successful operation.

References: David A. Wong, MD, MSc, FRCSC. Spinal Surgery and Patient Safety: A Systems Approach. In Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Spril 2006. Vol. 14. No. 4. Pp. 226-232.

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