Texas hospitals report hundreds of surgical errors, raising patient safety concerns

Texas hospitals recorded hundreds of serious surgical errors, including operations on the wrong site or patient and objects left inside patients. The figures raise concerns about patient safety, while state limits on non-economic damages can restrict compensation for pain and suffering.

In 2024, Texas reported 128 retained objects, 73 wrong-site procedures, 26 wrong procedures and 11 wrong-patient cases; the previous year the respective totals were 130, 50, 20 and six. The article describes Morgan Jackson being sterilised during a birth operation, Janie Ayala’s cancerous breast lump being left in place after surgery, and Beatriz Cerda discovering a needle in her abdomen years after a C-section. Non-economic damages are generally capped at $250,000 for private providers, while some state-owned hospitals may face a $100,000 cap.