Thousands of Americans have opted for gastric bypass surgery in recent years, and the high risk surgery may even riskier due to inexperienced surgeons rushing into the field without adequate training. Surgeons promote laparoscopic surgery to patients as safer than traditional more invasive surgery. However, the gastric bypass is so difficult that patients of surgeons who have done fewer than 70 to 100 operations have complications more often and a greater chance of death from those complications than patients of more experienced doctors. Some hospitals allow surgeons to operate after one weekend seminar, during which they do a handful of cases under the guidance of a more experienced surgeon.

Gastric bypass operations require the cutting and reconnecting of tissue, which can result in serious problems with the suture (stitches) or staple line connections. Leaking of gastrointestinal juices from the surgical connections can lead to serious infection, abscess, peritonitis and death. Any evidence of symptoms that might be caused by a leak should be immediately investigated. The failure to take the gastric bypass patient's complaints seriously, and quickly act, is a prime example of malpractice.

Death is becoming more frequent with gastric bypass surgery. In addition to gastric bypass surgery leaks, the most common cause of death is pulmonary emboli (clot), respiratory (breathing) failure, and gastric dilatation (abnormal enlargement). Common gastric bypass postoperative problems include infection and opening of the skin suture line, small bowel obstruction, kidney problems, gallstones, nausea and vomiting, hernia, and electrolyte and vitamin imbalances. When a leak is occurring, time is of the essence so that irreversible infection leading to organ failure and death does not occur. Exploratory surgery must be done when there is high suspicion of a leak.

If your doctor did not respond to your complaints about gastric bypass surgery problems, if you had leaking that resulted in infection from gastric bypass surgery, if you experienced excessive pain after surgery, if you had serious complications such as clotting, difficult breathing, or kidney problems, or if you were not monitored during your recovery, you may be a victim of gastric bypass malpractice.

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