Gastric Bypass Malpractice

There is no question about it—obesity has become a major problem for Americans. As such, surgical options, including various gastric bypass procedures, have been undertaken by thousands of people, in Massachusetts and on the national stage. While these surgeries have been often touted as safe and effective, there have historically been many complications and resulting injuries and fatalities. In short, these procedures can be dangerous and require experienced, skilled surgeons. Unfortunately, medical malpractice has been the root cause of numerous gastric bypass injuries and deaths over the last decade.

Gastric-bypass is a delicate and complex surgery that involves stapling, banding, or re-routing the digestive system so food, and its related nutrition, bypasses the normal route of stomach to small intestine, and is discarded as waste instead of being absorbed. The most common gastric bypass procedure is the "Roux-en-Y," but other common procedures are lap banding, sleeve gastrectomy, gastroplasty and laparoscopic gastric bypass.

If you have undergone a gastric bypass procedure and are now experiencing complications, or if a loved one has wrongfully died following a gastric bypass procedure, contact the experience Boston medical malpractice lawyers at Bellotti Law Group, P.C. today at 617-225-2100 for a free consultation. We have decades of experience bringing successful medical malpractice claims and will amass the best team of legal and medical experts possible on your behalf.

Gastric bypass surgery is very delicate and complex and should be performed only by the most experienced, expert surgeons. Gastric bypass surgeries are difficult and morbidly obese patients present a slew of additional complications that only specialists in bariatric surgery should take on. Further, according to the American Medical Association, the risk of injury or fatality following gastric bypass is significantly lower for surgeons who have performed at least 100 previous gastric bypass operations.

The most common complication following gastric bypass surgery is bleeding or leaking stomach fluid into the abdominal cavity. If not diagnosed and treated in a timely manner, deadly swelling, infection, peritonitis, blood loss, abscess, and other problems can occur.

Blood clots that travel can lead to pulmonary embolism or cardiac arrest, following a gastric bypass surgery. Again, post-operative measures must be taken to make a timely diagnosis or treatment in the event one of these complications occurs.

Not every person, even those who are morbidly obese, is a proper candidate for gastric bypass surgery. Generally, the following should be met before it is even considered an option: First, the candidate should be at least 100 lbs overweight or have a body mass index (BMI) over 40 (35 if patient has major obesity-related health issues). After this, the patient must be assessed to determine if any medical conditions, such as severely high blood pressure or heart disease, unacceptably increases their risk of injury or death from gastric bypass.

Finally, as with any medical procedure, doctors must fully inform the patient of all risks associated with the procedure and cannot continue unless the patient's informed consent is obtained.

If you or a loved one is a victim of gastric bypass malpractice, call the Boston medical malpractice attorneys at Bellotti Law Group, P.C. today at 617-225-2100 for a free consultation. You can also use our contact form and we will respond promptly.