Losing weight is not easy for most people. Many people struggle for years with fad diets, exercise programs, and other quick fixes that do not work for them. Because carrying extra weight can increase your risk of severe health problems, some people turn to weight loss surgery as a solution. Unfortunately, some people who undergo weight loss surgery suffer serious complications because of medical mistakes.
If you or your loved one has developed health complications related to your weight loss surgery, you might be eligible to seek compensation from your doctors or other health care practitioners in a surgical malpractice suit. A Stamford weight loss surgery malpractice lawyer can help you determine if pursuing legal action is the right decision for you and your family.
Most bariatric surgeries work by making the patient’s stomach smaller. With a smaller stomach, people have to restrict their food intake.
A gastric bypass is one of the most common weight loss surgeries. A bypass makes a patient’s stomach significantly smaller by bypassing a large section of it and the small intestine. The surgery creates a small pouch in the stomach that receives food. Because the pouch is so small, it can only hold a small amount of food, making the patient feel full after eating much less.
This type of weight loss surgery significantly reduces a patient’s stomach volume. In addition, the operation removes the part of the stomach that produces a patient’s appetite and hunger-stimulating hormone.
With lap-band surgery, doctors place an adjustable band around the top portion of a patient’s stomach. This band slows digestion and limits the amount of food a patient can eat. Doctors can adjust the band at follow-up visits after the surgery.
Revisional surgery is a follow-up operation that is intended to correct unsuccessful prior surgeries.
Knowledgeable Stamford attorneys understand how each of these surgeries work and know the different problems each weight loss operation can cause. They could apply their knowledge to help a patient prevail in a legal case.
All operations carry certain risks, such as problems with anesthesia, excessive bleeding, or infection. Weight loss surgery also brings the following additional risks:
Medical staff who fail to prevent or recognize complications or make other careless mistakes should be legally accountable for their errors. A Stamford weight loss malpractice attorney can help a patient take legal action after a provider’s mistake.
People often turn to bariatric surgery as a last resort. Because many of these types of surgery are irreversible, people must commit to permanently changing their eating habits and overall lifestyle to be eligible for surgery.
If you made a commitment to a lifestyle change and elected to have bariatric surgery, you deserved to receive reasonable and quality care from your surgeon and medical team. If something went wrong, a Stamford weight loss surgery malpractice lawyer can investigate to learn what happened and help you pursue the compensation you deserve. Contact us at Berkowitz Hanna to get started.
Berkowitz Hanna
