DOCTOR OPERATES ON WRONG SIDE OF PATIENT'S MOUTH

No...I am not making up this story.

Officials at a Providence, Rhode Island hospital have reported an oral surgeon began operating on the wrong part of a patient's mouth this week before discovering the error. It's the fifth wrong-site surgery in the last two years in the Lifespan hospital chain. This time the "mistake" occurred at Hasbro Children's Hospital.

Why does wrong site surgery happen so frequently? It is the responsibility of the operating room nurses, technicians, and the surgeon to all make sure they have the correct patient...getting the correct operative procedure....at the correct site.

How can 3 (at a minimum) different individuals miss this important piece of information? Unfortunately, we have seen wrong-site surgery on numerous times right here in Southwest Virginia.