Bariatric surgery is generally a very successful type of surgery that can help patients reduce or eliminate their risk for other major medical issues which come with weight-related conditions. There are many different kinds fo bariatric surgery, including some using sleeves, bands, or completely cutting and reshaping the stomach or intestines. While infection is a common risk after every type of surgery, some bariatric surgeries bring the risk of infection which is much higher than other types of surgeries. However, some of these infections may be due to Oregon medical malpractice and not be a common risk of the surgery, but due to negligent, reckless, or careless errors.
While some forms of bariatric surgery such as using bands carry a very low risk of infection, other types of bariatric surgery carry extremely high risks of infection. For example, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass involves the surgeon cutting into the stomach and forming a new pocket which will now collect the food. This pocket is smaller than the stomach and thus makes a person feel full quickly. The small intestine is also cut and re-routed to the new, smaller stomach. If there is any gap or improper routing of the stomach and intestine, it can lead to a leak of stomach or digestive fluids into the chest and stomach cavity. That means infections are almost guaranteed. If this is due to a medical error, it is likely Oregon medical malpractice.
Another type of bariatric procedure is sleeve gastrectomy. This is when a majority of the stomach is cut out and the remaining portion is re-formed into a tube-like structure. The smaller pouch holds much less food making the patient believe he or she feels full quicker. The likelihood for infection is very high because the stomach is being cut in half and reshaped. Any improper sutures or connections will leak bacteria and other caustic substances into the stomach.
While infection is common in all surgeries, in a bariatric surgery there are some indications when the surgery is due to a medical error as opposed to common risk. In order to be entitled to compensation, a victim of Oregon medical malpractice will need to establish that the injuries and infection were proximately caused by a breach of the surgeon’s duty to properly complete the procedure as a reasonably prudent surgeon in similar circumstances. Some common examples of failing this procedure include the following:
If you have had an infection post bariatric surgery, call our Oregon medical malpractice lawyer at Kuhlman Law, LLC to learn more. We handle cases throughout Oregon, including Central Oregon, Deschutes County, Redmond, Sisters, La Pine, Madras, Prineville, The Dalles, Albany, Corvallis, West Linn, Clackamass, Tillamook, Milwaukie, Vancouver, Washington, Tigard, Oregon City, Lake Oswego, Beaverton, Astoria, Coos Bay, Newport, Salem, Portland, Eugene, Gresham, Hillsboro, Medford, and any other city, including Bend, Oregon where our law office is located, please call Kuhlman Law, LLC by dialing (541) 385-1999 to learn what your rights to compensation you may have. You may also contact us using our easy and convenient “contact us” box at the bottom of our website. If we accept your case, we will conduct a thorough investigation to get you the answers you deserve, all for free. There is no risk, and you only pay us if we recover compensation for you.