Bridgeport Weight Loss Surgery Malpractice Lawyer

Being severely overweight can affect many aspects of your life. You might not be able to play with your kids, participate in fun recreational activities, or even work the same job. Your weight might also put you at risk of developing serious health problems, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and some types of cancer. As more and more people fight the battle with obesity, increasingly more people are turning towards weight loss surgery. Unfortunately, some people end up suffering harm from the operation.

You might be eligible to pursue financial compensation if you suffered severe health complications after your gastric bypass surgery. A Bridgeport weight loss surgery malpractice lawyer can help you look into your legal options. Get in touch with a skilled surgical error attorney at Berkowitz Hanna to learn more.

How Weight Loss Surgery Works

Gastric bypass or bariatric surgery works by altering the way a patient’s stomach and small intestine digest the food they eat. It makes the patient’s stomach area smaller, which makes the patient feel fuller after eating less food. The bypass can be permanent or temporary, but the patient must commit to living healthier.

Traditional gastric bypass surgeries work through a large surgical incision in a patient’s abdomen. A patient’s surgeon divides a stomach into two sections. The surgeon then connects the smaller section, known as the pouch, to a portion of the small intestine. When the patient eats, the food goes directly from the small pouch to a small opening in the small intestine instead of going through the rest of the stomach and small intestine. As a result, the body absorbs fewer calories.

Recently, surgeons have also used less invasive methods to reduce the size of a patient’s stomach. They sometimes perform the surgery laparoscopically, which involves a much shorter recovery period and results in smaller scars and fewer risks to the patient. While this operation can be life-changing, it can also be risky if physicians are not properly trained or do not provide proper instructions for pre-surgery or post-surgery care. When this is the case, a Bridgeport weight loss surgery malpractice attorney can help injured patients take legal action.

Possible Complications of Bariatric Surgery in Bridgeport

As with all surgeries, complications can occasionally arise. Older adults are more at risk of experiencing post-surgical problems. The most common types of complications are as follows:

  • Infection
  • Hernia, which occurs when a patient’s stomach or intestine pushes through their abdomen
  • Blood clots in the lungs
  • Peritonitis from internal leaking, which occurs when a surgeon fails to fully close a patient’s surgical incisions – this can lead to sepsis and be fatal if doctors do not diagnose and treat it quickly
  • Kidney failure
  • Respiratory problems
  • Gallstones
  • Obstruction of the bowels
  • Ulcers
  • Hemorrhaging or uncontrolled bleeding

Although patients need to commit to making changes in their diet before undergoing surgery, problems can occur when their doctors do not warn them about all of the potential risks of the surgery or when their medical team fails to give them adequate instructions on post-surgical care.

A knowledgeable weight loss surgery malpractice lawyer in the area can investigate to learn what went wrong. An attorney can also work with medical experts who can interpret complex medical records to determine who is at fault.

Talk to a Bridgeport Weight Loss Surgery Malpractice Attorney

Choosing to undergo gastric bypass surgery is a big decision. You had to agree to change your way of life. You put your trust in your medical team to improve your quality of life. If something went wrong and you are now experiencing complications, you might be able to pursue a compensation claim.

To speak with a Bridgeport weight loss surgery malpractice lawyer about your options, contact Berkowitz Hanna. We have extensive experience handling malpractice cases like these across the state, and we are prepared to fight for you.