Gastric Bypass Surgery Malpractice

A gastric bypass (bariatric surgery or “stomach stapling”) is a type of procedure used to treat obese patients. In a gastric bypass surgery, the stomach is divided into two separate pouches. The small intestine is then attached to both pouches. This leads to a situation in which the total volume of the stomach is reduced.

The purpose of a gastric bypass procedure is to lower the weight of the obese patient. If the stomach volume of the patient is reduced, typically the patient will eat less. If the patient eats less, then the patient will typically lose weight.

However, while the loss of weight can have health benefits for the patient, a gastric bypass procedure can also carry with it dangerous risks. For example, infections may result after the procedure. Surgeons are supposed to monitor their patients after such procedures to make sure that infections don’t develop and become worse. However, this isn’t always done and, if an infection develops, the patient may have a gastric bypass medical malpractice case against the surgeon who performed the operation.

For a free, no commitment consultation, contact Mr. Quackenbush at 954-448-7288 if you’ve been injured by a gastric bypass surgery happening anyplace in the State of Florida (including West Palm Beach, Palm Beach County, Miami, and Miami-Dade County). He won’t charge you a dime to discuss your case.

After hiring Mr. Quackenbush to work on your case, he will do so on contingency – which means that he won’t get paid until you’ve made a recovery in your case. So, there is no risk to you.

Doctors also may err by deciding to perform gastric bypass operations on a patient. For a variety of reasons, certain patients simply aren’t candidate for gastric bypass procedures. It is the doctor’s responsibility to determine who is (and who may not be) a good candidate for gastric bypass. If the doctor decides to operate on a patient who, in reality, is not a good candidate for gastric bypass and disastrous consequences result, then the surgeon may be held liable for those consequences.

Improper use of anesthesia is another form of negligence commonly seen in gastric bypass. Gastric bypass surgeries are typically done while the patient is unconscious. Patients are typically placed into a state of anesthesia by a doctor called an anesthesiologist – who administers a drug that induces anesthesia. If the anesthesiologist does something wrong and injures the patient, he or she will be held responsible for the patient’s injuries. For example, if the anesthesiologist gives the patient too much anesthesia, then the patient may actually overdose (“OD”) on the anesthesia and either not regain consciousness or tragically pass away.

The surgeon may also operate on the patient using unclean hands, unsanitary surgical instruments or tools, or in a contaminated environment. If this occurs, then the patient may develop dangerous infections and, if the patient is not properly monitored after the surgery, then the infections may progress and cause catastrophic consequences. If this occurred to you because of a surgeon’s negligence, then you may be able to pursue a medical malpractice case against the surgeon.

Unfortunately, statistics show that one out of every fifty gastric bypass patients will pass away as a result of the procedure. If this occurred to your loved one, then you may be able to pursue a medical malpractice wrongful death case on your loved one’s behalf. In this situation, a personal representative of your loved one’s estate will be appointed (usually, but not always, a relative), and your loved one’s survivors or beneficiaries will receive compensation from the case.

Further, if the small intestines isn’t properly attached to the stomach in a bariatric surgery, it may later become unattached. This can cause all sorts of problems, including internal hemorrhaging or bleeding.

Other problems and issues that can result from bariatric surgery include digestion problems, lack of nutrition intake, iron or vitamin B-12 deficiency, calcium deficiency, and protein malnutrition.

For a free, no commitment consultation, contact Mr. Quackenbush at 954-448-7288. Mr. Quackenbush will discuss with you all aspects of your case for free.

Upon hiring Mr. Quackenbush, he will work on a contingency basis – which means that there will be no risk to you as Mr. Quackenbush won’t get paid until you’ve made a recovery.