Should Pennsylvania residents avoid surgery in July?

Many Pennsylvania television viewers have come to know the interns of “Grey’s Anatomy.” Together, Meredith Grey, Izzie Stephens, Alex Karev and the entire group have experienced ups and downs and banded together over the mistakes that they made during their internships. Although their mistakes make for a dramatic storyline, they spell disaster and pain in real life.

Surgical interns in the real world are capable of making real surgical errors that could seriously impact you or a loved one’s life. Guess what month the interns all start their careers? July. According to some studies conducted in the past few years, July is one of the most dangerous months to go in for surgery.

One study collected data for surgeries conducted in relation to spin-related cancer and found that those who went under the knife in July suffered twice as many surgical complications. The scarier fact was that the July patients had an 81 percent higher risk of their surgery turning fatal than those who were scheduled for June or August.

Although many studies show that interns are more prone to mistake, it does not mean that avoiding them alone will keep you safe. Even the most experienced medical doctor is able to make mistakes. Some rely on false experiences to make diagnoses; others fall into patterned behavior and fail to pay close attention; and others do not keep abreast of medical advancements.

When you go to a doctor, you are literally putting your life in their hands. When a doctor fails to uphold the duty placed upon them, we call it medical malpractice.

Source: CNN Health, “The ‘July effect’: Why experienced doctors may not deliver the best care,” Dr. Zachary F. Meisel and Dr. Jesse M. Pines, July 17, 2012