Seventy-seven percent of surgeons have been named in a lawsuit compared to 51 percent of physicians overall, according to Medscape's "Surgeon Malpractice Report 2021."
Published Jan. 31, Medscape surveyed more than 4,300 physicians in 29 specialties.
Five things to know:
1. Of the 77 percent of surgeons who reported being named in a malpractice lawsuit, 26 percent were the only person named in the suit, and 66 percent were named in a suit with other parties.
2. Twenty-three percent of surveyed surgeons were never named in a malpractice suit.
3. Sixty-five percent of surgeons cited treatment and surgery complications as the reason for the lawsuit; 21 percent cited poor outcomes/disease progressions; and 17 percent cited wrongful death.
4. Plastic surgeons and general surgeons were sued the most often, at 83 percent each.
5. Eighty-two percent of surgeons said they felt the lawsuit was unwarranted.