Gastric Bypass Surgery Medical Malpractice

Millions of people across the United States are morbidly obese and struggling to lose weight. Many choose gastric bypass surgery as a solution.

For people who are obese, dieting and exercise may not work very well; in order to lose weight they turn to more drastic measures such as surgery. Gastric bypass surgery is a commonly used surgery for fat removal and weight reduction. According to last available data, close to 175,000 people undergo gastric bypass surgery every year.

Complications of Gastric Bypass Surgery

Like all other surgeries, complications may arise in gastric bypass surgery as well. It is believed that as many as 40% of people who undergo gastric bypass surgery report complications within six months of the surgery. Many times, these complications are a result of medical malpractice. Cases of gastric bypass surgery medical malpractice are not rare, and the implications are often severe and even life threatening.

Gastric bypass surgery medical malpractice can turn a person’s dreams of a slim body and healthy lifestyle into a nightmare. Missouri medical malpractice attorneys believe that a patient who has underwent a gastric bypass surgery would know that they have become a victim of gastric bypass malpractice if they experience any one of the following:

• The doctor fails to respond appropriately to the patient’s complaints of post surgery problems.
• The patient experienced extreme pain immediately or shortly after the gastric bypass surgery.
• The patient contracted infection as a result of post-operative leaking.
• The patient suffered serious complications such as difficult breathing, clotting, or kidney problems.
• Failure of the doctor to monitor post operative recovery.

Common Causes of Gastric Bypass Medical Malpractice

• Inexperience or incompetence of the surgeon performing the procedure.
• Failure of the treating doctor to diagnose or treat infections such as Sepsis or Septicaemia.
• Failure of the treating doctor to diagnose or treat post operative leakage of gastric fluid.
• Failure of the treating doctor to diagnose or treat pulmonary embolism.
• Failure of the surgeon to diagnose or treat gastric bleeding.
• Performing surgery on a patient who is not the right candidate for gastric bypass surgery.
• Failure to provide proper instructions on post operative care.

Additional Complications of Gastric Bypass Medical Malpractice

Any one of the aforementioned errors on the part of the surgeon can cause life threatening complications for the patient. Some of the commonly known complications arising out of gastric bypass surgery malpractice are:

• Pulmonary embolism (blockage of an artery in the lungs caused by a blood clot)
• Kidney problems
• Respiratory failure
• Hernias
• Gallstones
• Excessive pain after surgery
• Bowel obstruction
• Gastrointestinal leakage
• Other complications
• Death

If your gastric bypass surgery has caused health complications because of the negligence of the doctor, you should immediately get in touch with Zevan and Davidson Law Firm at (314) 588-7200 to understand your legal rights.

Photo credit: Next TwentyEight via Flickr