Personal Injury Lawyer Blog
Some people, try as they might, are unable to lose the amount of weight they would like to lose. So many Americans have a perfect body image they strife for but are not always able to obtain, be it genetic, hereditary or just plain product of age. Elective weight loss surgery has become an alternative to just excepting what you cannot change.
Elective weight loss surgeries like gastric bypass, LAP Band, Sleeve gastrectomies, and gastric banding can give patients the body they have always wanted, or at least one closer to it than they had before. The trouble is they carry a high risk of serious injury and even death if an error occurs. Not all patients appreciate the seriousness of these major abdominal procedures.
Of all the forms of elective weight loss surgery, gastric bypass is the most common. It is performed as both a minimal invasive surgery and an open surgery. During the surgery a loop of bowel is used to bypass the major section of the stomach. The smaller portion of the stomach retains only an ounce or two.
This separation of the stomach into two parts permits the upper portion to be directly connected to the lower section of the small intestine. Food bypasses part of the stomach and small intestines therefore reducing the caloric intake.
There are many cases of medical malpractice each year in Sacramento related to gastric bypass and elective weight loss surgeries. One of the biggest risk factors occurs when the procedure is performed in a clinic, doctors office or surgery center. Medical emergencies are more common outside of a hospital. Other health care facilities do not always have the equipment and resources to save someone’s life.
Patients in emergency distress may be kept too long waiting for an ambulance. Nurses and emergency room surgeons are scarce in nonhospital environments. Problems associated with elective weight loss surgeries, such as anesthesia, need immediate attention. Waiting to long can result in brain injuries that last a lifetime and even death.
According to research by the University of Iowa, there are three main reasons for death during an elective weight loss surgery; leaks, small bowel obstruction and pulmonary embolism.
Leaks occur when digestive matters seep through the staple lines into the abdomen causing absessses and infection. Symptoms include fever, a high heart rate, and extreme pain. Repairs can be made if the condition is caught soon enough.
Small bowel obstructions are the least common complication to elective weight loss surgery that can result in death. This malady occurs when the intestines twist and do not allow food and digestive fluids to flow through causing pain and vomiting.
Pulmonary embolisms are the most common form of fatality associated with gastric bypass surgery. This occurs when a foreign object such as an air bubble is introduced into the blood stream at a pulmonary artery that causes an obstruction.
Death, permanent brain damage, injury and more are all possible side effects of gastric bypass gone horribly wrong. If you have experienced this by a Sacramento doctor and need help, we are here.