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Bariatric / Gastric Bypass Surgery

For the dangerously overweight, bariatric surgery can be a lifesaver. After years of diet and exercise have failed, it is viewed as the last, best hope for thousands. Yet, there are risks: with the demand for weight-loss surgeries soaring - 145,000 bariatric procedures were performed in 2004, whereas just 16,000 were performed in 1992 - many general surgeons are taking quick courses to perform these operations. Due to the risk that comes with any surgical procedure, the health problems present in many bariatric surgery patients, and the inexperience of many physicians in the field, 5% of patients have serious complications and there is a mortality rate as high as one in 200. Some of these complications can be attributed to medical mistakes made during and after the procedure.

Mistakes during and after these procedures can result in serious injury or death. Common medical errors fall into two categories. The first are errors that occur during the surgery itself, such as anesthesia errors or surgeon's mistakes. The second, and more common, are errors that occur after surgery. For example, gastric bypass involves cutting and stitching the digestive tract. Sometimes surgeons do not adequately assure that the stomach and/or intestines are closed and reattached properly and the operation 'leaks' into the patient's abdomen. This situation can lead to serious and life-threatening infections. Another common post-surgery negligence issue is when a bariatric surgery patient develops an intestinal blockage following surgery. This can lead to serious gastric complications or a condition known as 'aspiration' (when stomach contents end up in the lungs), both of which can kill a patient if not prevented or treated immediately.