26 key words from the article (reference)
relating to surgery or operations performed on the body
"Unfortunately, at least in some countries, the rate of surgical mishaps seems to be on the rise."
unlucky accidents; minor errors with unfortunate results
"At least in some countries, the rate of surgical mishaps seems to be on the rise."
people receiving medical treatment
"Doctors left items like scissors and towels inside patients' bodies."
put something in place of something else
"Doctors have replaced the wrong cornea in an eye operation."
a medical procedure performed by a surgeon to treat an injury or disease
"Doctors have replaced the wrong cornea in an eye operation."
a particular course of action or way of doing something, especially a medical treatment
"Doctors have done the wrong procedure on the wrong patient."
harm that cannot be undone or corrected
"Such surgical mistakes can do irreversible damage to a patient."
an illness affecting a person, animal, or plant
"Mr. Nickels had a serious bodily disease that spread to both of his arms."
the process of returning to health after an illness or injury
"His right arm was still healthy enough for recovery."
had progressed too far to be saved or fixed
"His left arm was too far gone; it needed to be removed."
medical treatment that involves cutting into the body to repair or remove something
"Nicolas was worried about his surgery."
performs surgery
"Nicolas told the nurse to be sure the doctor operates on the correct arm."
a doctor who performs surgery
"The surgeon told Nicolas' wife that all had gone well."
everything happened successfully, without problems
"The surgeon told Nicolas' wife that all had gone well---perfect."
connected or joined to something
"When Nicolas woke up, his left arm was still attached, but half his right arm was missing."
surgically removed, especially a limb
"The doctor had amputated the wrong arm."
a statement that describes something as less serious than it really is
"It is an understatement to say that Nicolas was shocked."
used to introduce a fact that becomes known later, often unexpectedly
"As it turns out, however, it wasn't completely the doctor's fault."
a series of written records that shows how something happened or developed
"Somewhere along the paper trail, a nurse or administrator had accidentally identified the bad arm as the right instead of the left."
a board with a clip for holding papers, often used to hold a patient's medical chart
"The information was correct on the patient's clipboard."
displayed publicly, often on a board or wall
"The surgical room's posted schedule and the doctor's copy did not get replaced."
a plan that lists events or tasks along with the times they will happen
"The surgical room's posted schedule and the doctor's copy did not get replaced."
happening all the time; continuously
"The patient's chart is constantly updated with each change in information."
stopped something from happening
"A simple review of the chart before surgery could have prevented the surgical mishap."
given anesthesia to become unconscious before surgery
"Have your surgeon see you before the operation begins and before you are put under."
demand something firmly, refusing to accept refusal
"Insist on it! It's your body."