Once a controversial surgery, gastric bypass is becoming more widely accepted as a viable weight-loss option for obese individuals. This is an elective surgery (although sometimes considered a medical necessity for some morbidly obese patients), so surgery candidates are warned of the possible complications ahead of time, and they must accept that they are a real possibility. However, there is a difference between complications and complications that were caused by a doctor's negligence.
Gastric bypass surgery changes the way food travels through a person's body by creating a small stomach pouch and directly attaching it to the small intestine. This allows food to bypass a large part of the stomach and go right to the smaller stomach. Food also bypasses the duodenum, so the body's absorption of dietary fat is substantially reduced. The most common complication of this surgery is probably bleeding or leakage of gastric fluid. If gastric fluid or blood leaks into the abdominal cavity, a condition called peritonitis is possible. A doctor needs to correctly diagnose and treat the peritonitis quickly or a patient can be seriously injured or even killed. You also need to consider whether the peritonitis was the result of bad luck or because your doctor acted negligently during your surgery.
If you are suffering from complications due to your gastric bypass surgery, it is important to determine whether they are the cause of a doctor's negligence. Contact the medical malpractice lawyers at Girards Law today for a free consultation at 888-897-2762.
