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Dallas Bariatric Surgery Attorney

Obesity is a serious and chronic disease, occurring in nearly a third of people in the United States. The complications of obesity cause the deaths of about 300,000 people per year, meaning that obesity is a leading cause of premature death – in fact, it is second only to complications from cigarette smoking.

The seriousness of obesity and the complications that can arise from it are widely recognized today, leading many obese people to the decision to have gastric bypass surgery, also known as stomach stapling. Gastric bypass surgery reduces the volume a patient’s stomach can hold – usually only a cup or so at every meal.

The number of obese people who choose to have gastric bypass surgery increases every year. For most, the surgery is literally a lifesaver – for others, mistakes made by surgeons during gastric bypass surgery are deadly.

For every 350 people who undergo gastric bypass surgery, one will die due to medical malpractice – a distressingly high rate. But the rate of people who sustain serious medical malpractice related injuries during gastric bypass surgery is alarmingly higher. These operations are extremely dangerous.

Risks of gastric bypass surgery:

1. Infections
2. Heart failure
3. Respiratory arrest
4. Uncontrollable infection
5. Blockage of major arteries
6. Kidney failure
7. Permanent injury to the digestive tract
8. Bleeding
9. Gallstones
10. Gastritis
11. Vomiting
12. Diarrhea
13. Nausea

And because the injury and death rate for patients who undergo gastric bypass surgery only continues to increase every year, the number of medical malpractice claims rises with it.

Common Types of Gastric Bypass Malpractice

1. Inexperienced surgeons performing the procedure
2. Failure to diagnose and properly treat leakage of gastric fluid
3. Failure to diagnose and treat pulmonary embolism
4. Performing surgery on patients who are at high risk for fatal complications
5. Failure to properly monitor patients after surgery

Lap-Band® Surgery

Lap-Band® surgery is quickly surpassing the more standard gastric bypass surgery. Lap-Band® surgery involves placing the LAP-BAND®, a prosthesis, around the stomach to limit the volume a patient’s stomach can hold. The LAP-BAND® has been FDA approved since 2001, and has only grown in popularity since then, as the surgery itself is comparatively non-invasive, involving only a few small incisions to reach the stomach and put in the LAP-BAND® with surgical instruments. The Lap-Band® surgery is highly recommended for morbidly obese patients, especially those who have difficulty in both loosing weight and keeping it off.

At Polewski & Associates, we understand the betrayal you feel when your trust in your doctor is misused or misplaced; and we understand the suffering that accompanies the doctor’s mistakes. If you or someone you love has been injured due to medical malpractice during bariatric surgery, call us. With over 25 years of experience, we can help.

Contact us now, and let's start making things better today

If you or a loved one have been seriously injured by a medical mistake, contact Polewski & Associates today.

Toll Free 866-228-1716