AI Summary & Key Takeaways
AI InsightFindings suggest that existing protocols alone are insufficient; effective implementation, regular audits, mandatory time-out compliance, and strengthening safety culture through structured training programs are essential for prevention.
📌 3 Key Takeaways
Abstract
Introduction: Wrong-site surgery (WSS) is considered a “never event” and represents a serious and fully preventable patient safety issue. Despite international protocols, these incidents continue to occur, leading to significant clinical, legal, and social consequences. This study aimed to analyze wrong-site surgery cases reported in Supreme Court decisions and the media in Türkiye, identifying their characteristics and legal implications from a forensic medicine perspective. Material Methods: A retrospective review was conducted using the legal database lexpera.com.tr and Google News search engine. Keywords such as “wrong-side surgery” and equivalent Turkish terms were used to identify cases between 2010 and 2025. A total of 22 cases meeting inclusion criteria were analyzed. Descriptive statistics were performed using SPSS v21.0. Results: Among the 22 cases, 45.5% involved orthopedic surgery, followed by ophthalmology and general surgery (each 13.6%). The most common surgical sites were lower (31.8%) and upper extremities (22.7%). Wrong-site surgery was most frequently reported in public hospitals (45.5%), followed by university/research hospitals (31.8%). Legal analysis revealed that several decisions initially favoring physicians at local courts were overturned in Supreme Courts, mostly in favor of patients, indicating significant medico-legal risk. Conclusion: WSS remains a critical patient safety issue in Türkiye, particularly in orthopedic and high-volume surgical settings. Findings suggest that existing protocols alone are insufficient; effective implementation, regular audits, mandatory time-out compliance, and strengthening safety culture through structured training programs are essential for prevention.
Özet
Giriş: Türkiye’de yanlış taraf cerrahisi olgularının yüksek yargı kararları ve basına yansıyan haberler üzerinden analiz edilmesi ve hasta güvenliği ile hukuki boyutlarının ortaya konulmasıdır. Gereç ve Yöntem: 2010-2025 yıllarını kapsayan taramada lexpera.com.tr ve news.google.com kullanılarak toplam 22 olgu incelendi. Tanımlayıcı istatistikler SPSS v21.0 ile analiz edildi. Bulgular: Olguların %45,5’i ortopediye ait olup, alt ekstremite (%31,8) ve üst ekstremite (%22,7) en sık etkilenen bölgelerdi. Yanlış taraf cerrahisi en fazla kamu hastanelerinde görüldü (%45,5). Üst mahkemelerce hekim lehine yerel kararların hasta lehine bozulması dikkati çekti. Sonuç: Yanlış taraf cerrahisi önlenebilir bir hasta güvenliği sorunu olmasına rağmen ciddi klinik ve hukuki riskler barındırmaktadır. Protokollerin yanı sıra etkin uygulama, düzenli denetim, zorunlu eğitimler ve güvenlik kültürünün güçlendirilmesi önerilmektedir.