The aorta is the main blood vessel that brings blood from your heart to the rest of your body. As the aorta passes through the abdomen, it branches off towards vital organs. Where the arteries connect to the kidneys there is a special segment of the aorta that can expand with age. This is where an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) forms. This expansion specifically looks like a balloon-like swelling of the aorta.
Most of the time, an aneurysm does lead to noticeable symptoms until they break or rupture.
The actual symptoms of a ruptured AAA may vary. Most patients experience severe abdominal pain which radiates into the back. This pain can be a shooting pain or a pulsing pain.
Other symptoms of AAA include:
If an undetected ruptured aneurysm is not treated, it can lead to severe internal bleeding and even death.
Abdominal aneurysms are diagnosed 70% of the time by palpation by a family doctor as part of a physical exam. Abdominal ultrasounds and CAT scans are then used to confirm the location and the size of the aneurysm.
Once diagnosed, a patient can begin seeking treatment from a vascular surgeon. It is essential to get the proper medical care as soon as possible. Responsible medical professionals will be able to treat the aneurysm and help you maintain your health.
However, mistakes can happen even in the medical field. Mistakes might be made even when trying to find and diagnose the aneurysm, which can cost you time, money, health, and even your life.
When you seek medical treatment from a provider, they have a duty to provide prudent and quality care for you, their patient. Any breach of this standard of care may allow you to sue the provider for the damages done to you or to a loved one.
Violations of the duty of care in the medical field are usually referred to as malpractice, which can either happen through negligence or malice. Negligence occurs when a medical provider falls short of their duty of care for any reason. This can be from either relaxing the level of care, not providing proper tests, accidental damage during surgery, and any other mistake that caused you harm.
Malice is a legal term that relates more to the actual intent of a person to cause harm. It is far less common to see malice as the cause of medical malpractice.
If you or a loved one has suffered more during treatment for an AAA, you may be entitled to legal compensation. The Cochran Firm is a national law firm that specializes in representing individuals and families hurt by the negligence of others.
Our personal injury lawyers have many years navigating complicated personal injury cases. When you meet with us, we will help you examine evidence and create an effective medical malpractice claim.
If you feel that you need to file a lawsuit, we recommend that before you meet with your attorney you should gather as much information as possible. You should especially gather records around where the malpractice occurred. If possible, try to gather your doctor’s treatment notes, and then your specific diagnosis.
If one of your family members died as a result of medical malpractice, you may also be entitled to compensation from a wrongful death claim.
Our commitment to you is that we will provide aggressive and personalized legal representation for you or for your loved ones. Malpractice and medical negligence for an abdominal aortic aneurysm are only one of our practice areas. Our lawyers also have experience with car accident cases, product liability law, and other areas of personal injury law.
Call 1-800-THE-FIRM today for a FREE no-obligation legal consultation.
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