Regional anesthesia · nerve injury · ambulatory surgery
Independent medical expert review in anesthesiology and perioperative care.
Sean M. Serell, M.D. is a board-certified anesthesiologist in Fort Collins, Colorado, with twenty-one years of active practice in hospital and ambulatory surgical settings. He provides independent case review, written opinions, and testimony for plaintiff and defense counsel.
- Clinical anesthesia practice
- 21+ years
- Peripheral nerve, epidural and spinal blocks
- 25,000+
- Director of Anesthesia Services
- 10 years
- American Board of Anesthesiology
- Diplomate
Areas of Review
He reviews medical malpractice matters involving general anesthesia, regional anesthesia — including peripheral nerve blocks, epidural anesthesia, and spinal anesthesia — monitored anesthesia care, procedural sedation, perioperative nerve injury, anesthesia-related complications, airway management, patient positioning, postoperative care, perioperative decision-making, patient-safety practices, and anesthesia-related policies and procedures.
Regional Anesthesia & Nerve Blocks
Peripheral nerve blocks; neuraxial anesthesia, including epidural and spinal techniques; ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia; block selection and performance; perioperative management of regional anesthesia; and evaluation of block-related complications, neurologic injury, local anesthetic–related complications, and other adverse outcomes.
Perioperative Nerve Injury
Evaluation of postoperative neurologic deficits and perioperative nerve injuries involving the upper and lower extremities, brachial plexus, and other peripheral nerves, including injuries potentially related to regional anesthesia, needle or injection trauma, patient positioning, surgical factors, compression, stretch, or ischemia. Assessment includes differentiation of anesthetic, surgical, positioning-related, and other perioperative causes.
Anesthesia Complications
Evaluation of adverse events and complications associated with general anesthesia, monitored anesthesia care, procedural sedation, and perioperative management, including airway management and difficult airway, respiratory and hemodynamic instability, medication-related errors and adverse effects, emergence and recovery events, PACU complications, and anesthesia care provided in trauma and emergency settings.
Ambulatory Surgery & Patient Selection
Evaluation of patient selection for ambulatory and office-based surgical procedures, including preoperative assessment and risk stratification, comorbidity and obstructive-sleep-apnea screening, facility capability and case-appropriateness, intraoperative and recovery-phase management, discharge criteria, and transfer-of-care decisions to higher-acuity settings.
Supervision, Staffing & Medical Direction
Evaluation of anesthesia care-team models, including anesthesiologist supervision of CRNAs, delegation and scope of practice, staffing ratios and availability, communication and handoff, and departmental policies, procedures and perioperative systems of care. Also includes anesthesia-related quality improvement, credentialing, and medical-direction standards.
Working with Counsel
Engagements typically begin with a preliminary review of records to determine whether the case has merit from an anesthesiology standpoint. That assessment is candid: if the standard of care was met, you will hear that early, before further cost is incurred.
Subsequent work may include a written report, review of opposing expert opinions, deposition, and trial testimony. Dr. Serell reviews cases for both plaintiff and defense counsel and maintains an active clinical practice, which keeps his opinions grounded in current practice rather than recollection.
Discuss a case
Initial conversations about case suitability are without charge. Book a fifteen-minute call at a time that works for you, or call directly at (970) 988-7739.