Gastric bypass surgery or bariatric surgery is a major medical procedure designed to help severely overweight people lose weight. Over the years, weight loss surgery has become one of the fastest growing procedures performed in the US. Over 200,000 bariatric procedures are being performed every year. In most cases, patients do no experience long term or permanent complications. However, like any other surgical procedure, there are risks and complications of gastric bypass surgery. While rare, some of these complications can be serious if not fatal. Although some complications can occur under the best of care, others are a result of medical malpractice. To speak with a gastric bypass malpractice lawyer in Chicago about a potential claim involving gastric bypass surgery, we invite you to contact Kroot Law, LLC for a free consultation.
Gastric bypass surgery carries a number of complications. Some of these complications are short-term, while others can be long-term or even deadly. Like many other surgical procedures, complications of bariatric surgery include infection and bleeding. One relatively common complication from gastric bypass is a leak from one of the staple lines. In addition, blood clots in the legs can develop. Although these usually resolve over time, blood clots in the leg must be treated promptly and effectively in order to avoid a potentially fatal deep vein thrombosis or DVT.
Long-term bypass surgery complications can include the development of an ulcer where the small intestine attaches to the stomach. In addition, post-bypass surgery patients may not be able to absorb certain vitamins well. Consequently, vitamin supplements may also be necessary after surgery. Other long-term complications that can occur include hernia or weakness at the incision, stricture of the opening (or stoma) between the stomach and intestine, dehydration, body aches, and fatigue.
Although most gastric bypass surgery complications develop after during surgery, some occur intraoperatively (ie., during surgery). When a complication happens intraoperatively, it is often from the trocar instrument (the device used to create an access port during surgery). How and where is the trocar is used can certainly influence the surgical complication rate. Other surgical complications from bariatric surgery include splenic injuries, portal vein injuries, bowel ischemia, and bowel misconstruction. Of course, simply because a complication occurs during surgery does not necessarily mean it was a surgical error or other form of medical malpractice.
Post-operative complications typically develop through no fault of the surgeon. The key to preventing deadly post-operative complication is timely recognizing the complication by the medical staff. Once the complication is timely recognized, it must be promptly and effectively treated.
If you or a loved one has developed a serious complication from gastric bypass surgery, a skilled and experience medical malpractice lawyer can investigate whether or not the complication occurred from medical malpractice. For further information, we invite you to contact our medical malpractice law firm for a free consultation.