We have seen countless stories and reports over the years describing the different sufferings caused by medical malpractices by various military hospitals, but have seen little improvement from within as the statistics have rarely changed.
A recent article from U.S. News & World Report helps us understand at least one reason why. Nearly every military hospital in the nation deal with far less high-risk surgeries than non-military hospitals, leaving most of their medical team unprepared when they do get assigned one.
The San Antonio Military Medical Center has more experience than many other military hospitals across the country, ranking in the top three for quantity of high-risk procedures in the study. Some of those procedures include:
- Abdominal aortic aneurysm repairs
- Bariatric staple surgeries
- Joint replacement
- Rectal cancer
However, they also barely pass the threshold or completely fail in other departments. This includes:
- Lung cancer restrictions
- Mitral valve restrictions
- Pancreatic cancer restrictions
The report also states that none of the military medical facilities passed the safety threshold for mitral valve repairs within the last couple of years. The William Beaumont Medical Center in El Paso in particular was highlighted for receiving very few opportunities to practice in the field.
However, even though the San Antonio Military Medical Center did exceed the amount of surgeries done in comparison to all of the other military facilities, they also have one of the highest rates of surgical complications. As we’ve seen in the news, this has happened in surgeries where they have both passed and failed to meet the safety threshold.
The report suggests that simply meeting the safety threshold is not enough to prevent medical malpractice. These doctors need to be prepared for anything that comes their way. The best way to do so is to receive ample training and experience. Doing so can prevent a number of catastrophic injuries or deaths caused by medical malpractice.
