Gastric Bypass Surgery Lawsuits

It is estimated that over 90,000 people will have gastric bypass surgery for the treatment of obesity this year.

The fatality rate for gastric bypass surgery is believed to be as many as 1 in 200 patients. This rate is nearly twice the rate of other major operations of similar complexity, and many attorneys believe the rate of deaths from the procedure could be even higher.

As the number of people electing to have gastric bypass surgery increases, so do the number of medical malpractice claims.

In recent legal settlements, gastric bypass surgery patients were the victims of the following types of medical malpractice:

• Patients were treated in facilities that lacked equipment appropriately sized for obese persons. These items ranged from diagnostic tools, CAT scanners, instruments, and operating tables.
  
• Some physicians had performed too many surgeries, some as many a 5 operations a day and were fatigued, putting patients at risk.
  
• Physicians failed to respond immediately when a patient complained of symptoms that indicated suture line leaks, or other complications leading to death.
  
• Physicians failed to educate the patient and his or her family on post surgery recovery so that in the event of complications the response could be swift and life saving.

It is important to remember that gastric bypass is not a cosmetic surgery but a treatment option for people suffering from obesity.

Contact an attorney if you or a loved one has been the victim of medical malpractice.