There's no question that surgeries routinely help residents of Butler County, with certain medical conditions, to heal and secure a better quality of life. While this is the case much of the time, in some situations surgical procedures do not go as planned. When this happens, it is possible that the patient could end up with serious injuries that did not exist when they went into the surgery.

This was what happened to a man residing in another state. While undergoing cataract surgery, a surgery common throughout the nation including in the state of Pennsylvania, the man reportedly woke up while it was still in progress. He claims that when he requested that the surgery be stopped, individuals assisting in the surgery held him down and put tape over his mouth to keep him quiet. The struggle was so heated that one of his teeth was reportedly knocked out in the process, which he then swallowed.

Unfortunately, the surgery was not a success and he ended up losing all vision in the eye that was being operated on.

As a result of the alleged anesthesia error, the man filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against the doctors involved in the surgery as well as the facility where the surgery took place. In the claim, the man seeks damages for many things including:

• Medical expenses
• Physical pain and suffering
• Disability
• Destruction of earning capacity
• Mental anguish
• The amount of damages sought was not disclosed.

Incidents such as this one, referred to as anesthesia awareness, occur all too often throughout the country. According to a study conducted in 2008, approximately 30,000 fail to stay awake during surgical procedures. Because it should not happen, anyone who has experienced such an occurrence may be able to recover damages via a medical malpractice lawsuit.

Source: Opposing Views, "Man Sues Over Loss of Vision And Alleged Torture After Waking Up During Cataract Surgery," Sarah Rae Fruchtnicht, Feb. 26, 2013