Weight loss surgery (bariatric surgery) has become a relatively popular surgical procedure for patients who are morbidly obese, but these surgeries are not risk free and sometimes lead to bad outcomes due to preventable errors, particularly after the surgery. 

 

One type of weight loss surgery simply shrinks the stomach so that the patient will eat less.  Examples of this type of surgery include adjustable gastric banding and sleeve gastrectomy.  

 

The other type of weight loss surgery shrinks the stomach but also bypassess a portion of the small intestine so that fewer calories are absorbed.  Examples of this type of surgery include gastric bypass surgery (Roun-en-Y) and bileopancreatic diversion (duodenal switch).  

 

Common mistakes that lead to malpractice claims include:

 

• Failure of surgeon to suspect and rule in or rule out bowel leak in a post-surgical patient with heart rate greater than 100 bpm, hypotension (very low blood pressure, low urine output, fever, and/or pain out of proportion

 

• Failure of nursing staff to notify physician of heart rate greater than 100 bpm, low blood pressure, low urine output, fever, and/or pain out of proportion after the surgery.

 

In weight loss surgeries involving bypass of a portion of the small intestine, a common mistake also involves:

 

• Failure of the physician to account for and properly monitor for nutritional deficiencies caused by the bypass that can lead to widespread nerve damage (polyneuropathy) and brain damage.  

 

If you or a family member have suffered a catastrophic injury or loss due to weight loss surgery, contact Bill Maddix, your Minnesota medical malpractice lawyer, for a free consultation.