AIM:To assess the current situation in Greece regarding medical liability in neurosurgery, the involvement of anaesthetists in court decisions, the impact of court cases and decisions, the time taken to reach a final decision, and the relationship between these issues and judicial results.MATERIAL and METHODS: Legal information banks were searched for published court decisions of criminal, civil, administrative and disciplinary content from 1985 to 2021. RESULTS:A total of 52 court decisions were retrieved: 11 criminal court cases and 10 civil cases, including 7 cases of negligent homicide and 14 of bodily injuries. The duration of litigation in 17 cases was 5.5 years, while in 4 cases the duration was 14.5 years. The average compensation paid was € 101,701. CONCLUSION:Neurosurgery has a relatively small number of reported complaints of medical negligence compared to other surgical specialties in Greece. Complications of spinal surgeries represent the majority of court cases. There is a need for immediate judicial-legislative reform of the framework for seeking medical liability of doctors.
Regional anaesthesia and analgesia in the form of central or peripheral nerve blocks are part of rou tine practice because of their many advantages [1][2][3][4]. However, as with every medical intervention, there are risks of certain complications [5][6][7][8][9]. In the study by Aromaa et al., the incidence of serious complica tions was 0.45 : 10.000 after spinal and 0.52 : 10.000 after epidural anaesthesia. Factors believed to pre vent permanent injury include an atraumatic ap proach, appropriate patient selection, and timely diagnosis and treatment of complications [10].Studies of insurance claims related to regional anaesthesia and detailing specific patterns of in jury and liability have been published [10][11][12][13][14][15]. These publications have effectively identified as pects of daily practice relevant to patient safety. The knowledge gained thus far from the analysis of medical malpractice lawsuits has already led to multiple improvements in patient care and safety processes.
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