Medical disputes and compensation costs associated with gastric cancer surgery at a large-volume center in Korea

Purpose:The incidence and cost of medical disputes in Korea are increasing annually.This study investigated the characteristics of medical dispute cases and analyzed the compensation costs in patients with gastric cancer admitted for surgery at a single large-volume center.Materials and Methods: Patients with gastric cancer admitted for surgery who received compensation after filing medical disputes with the legal affairs team at our center between January 2012 and December 2017.The characteristics and information of the disputes were reviewed, and the level of compensation awarded was analyzed according to different factors.Results: During the study period, 20 medical disputes associated with gastric cancer surgery were noted, of which evidence of medical negligence was detected in 5.There were 17 cases of morbidity and 4 of mortality.The mean compensation paid for the settlement was USD 7,502.The length of hospital stay (P=0.009) and morbidity (P=0.004) were significantly associated with compensation.Conclusions: Our results provide foundational information on surgical disputes in patients with gastric cancer and the accompanying compensation costs for settlement.