Why Does My Wife Have Difficulty Speaking After Surgery?

Your loved one has just come home from surgery and is laying down in the bedroom a few days later. She opens her eyes, looks at you and smiles. You ask her how she feels. She opens her mouth to tell you, but the words won't come out. Her smile turns to a frown as she tries to speak, but her words come out slurred and are hard to understand. If this is the case, your wife may have suffered brain damage.

What is anoxia/hypoxia?

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, anoxia or hypoxia occurs when someone has inadequate blood flow to their brain. This can happen from incidents such as drowning, strangling, head trauma or other bodily injuries. However, if your wife has just come out of surgery, one of the causes might be a complication from having general anesthesia.

Some of the symptoms from anoxia can include inattentiveness, memory loss, difficulty speaking and poor judgment. These can also occur when the patient is simply tired from the surgery, or from some medications side effects. However, if your loved one is showing these symptoms at all, it is imperative that you call their doctor immediately. If the situation is severe enough, call 911.

Medical Mistakes and What to Do.

While general anesthesia is generally safe, there are always risks. If your loved one has suffered a complication from the anesthesia, such as hypoxia, there is a possibility that they might have had a family history of allergy, or perhaps heart, lung or kidney problems. Another possibility is medical malpractice. The anesthesia dosage could have been too high, or maybe the medical staff neglected to look into the patient’s history and gave them a combination of drugs they were not able to handle. In some cases, this can lead to more severe issues such as stroke, long term disability and in the most extreme situation, death.

If you feel that your loved one has a brain injury or has died from complications related to hypoxia/anoxia, you should contact one of our experienced brain injury lawyers. We are here to make sure you get the help you need if your loved one suffered from medical malpractice.