This column is designed to save lives by giving readers a safe-surgery checklist with the kind of advice that is a proven saver of lives. When you go into a hospital for surgery, don’t assume that things will go as they should. You will encounter serious mistakes on an almost routine and epidemic basis, so be prepared to protect yourself. Here’s an example to show you how the checklist can save lives and how mistakes are likely, almost inevitable, if you don’t monitor what’s going on.