How can wrong-site surgery be prevented?

• A. Inform the patient after the operation
• B. Proceed with the procedure and document later
• C. Use a formal time-out with confirmation of patient identity, procedure, and site, involving the entire team
• D. Rely on memory of the surgeon

Answer: (C)

Preventing wrong-site surgery hinges on a formal, team-based verification step performed right before incision. This time-out creates a deliberate pause where everyone in the room confirms three critical elements: the patient’s identity, the planned procedure, and the exact site. It also gives a chance to verify any relevant laterality, imaging, or site marking and to ensure all team members are aligned on the plan. Involving the entire team—surgeon, anesthesia provider, scrub nurse, and circulating nurse—helps catch any mismatches or misunderstandings before any incision is made, turning a potential memory-dependent check into a shared, verifiable process.

This approach is far more reliable than informing the patient after the operation or proceeding and documenting later, which happen after the risk has already occurred, and it’s more dependable than relying on the surgeon’s memory alone, which is susceptible to distraction and fatigue.