Gastric Bypass Surgery Gone Bad
Canada Goose sale Gastric bypass surgery, the drastic procedure used to help some obese people lose weight, continues to grow in popularity. It’s estimated that 140,000 people had this procedure in 2004, with the number expected to grow even higher this year. And for the majority of patients, this surgery is a lifesaver, but not for all, reports The Early Show correspondent Melinda Murphys. Canada Goose sale
Like many people who seek out this surgery, Dave Weindel had been morbidly obese for most of his life. So he was eager to have surgery to help him lose weight, get healthy, and live longer to watch his four young canada goose outlet uk sale children grow.
“I graduated from eighth grade a couple years later,” Christy Weindel says, crying. “And he wasn’t there canada goose outlet in toronto for that. And he wasn’t there for prom. And I just got married in September. And he wasn’t there for that. It’s really tough.
Christy Weindel lost her father when she was 12 years old. Dave Weindel died three weeks after having gastric bypass surgery.
“I had to come home and had to tell the kids that their dad died. Was very, very hard,” says, Cathy Weindel. According to Weindel’s wife, it wasn’t supposed to turn out this way.
canada goose store She says, “Well, they told us it was major surgery. But they said, ‘You know, you’re going to be home in three days.’ ” canada goose store
Weindel’s surgery was July 17, 1998. His stomach was reduced to the size of an egg canada goose outlet near me and his intestines were re routed. The canada goose outlet paypal surgeon told Cathy Weindel the operation went well. But within days, Weindel’s health worsened.
canada goose coats He was transferred to a second hospital, where a CT scan revealed a large abscess. Weindel was treated, but his health continued to canada goose outlet ottawa decline. canada goose coats
Cathy Weindel says she thinks her husband knew what was happening to him.
“I still remember, and I still see this in my mind,” she says very emotionally. canada goose outlet “When they’re shutting canada goose outlet usa everything down and there canada goose jacket outlet sale was nothing else they could do. I was talking to him. And I saw a tear come out of his eye. And, I mean, it still stays with me.”
Dave Weindel died three weeks after his surgery. He was 38. The official cause of death: abscess, pneumonia and a pulmonary embolism.
buy canada goose jacket cheap Was Dave Weindel’s case a complete anomaly? Not really. buy canada goose jacket cheap
A recent study by researchers at the University of Washington found that 1 in 50 people die within one month of having gastric bypass surgery, and that figure jumps nearly fivefold if the surgeon is https://www.yokosukabase.com inexperienced.
Attorney Herman Praszkier says, “You want to know, basically, as much information about the surgeon’s background as you can. Anyone who evades your question, get up and walk out.”
canada goose coats on sale Praszkier represented Cathy Weindel in her lawsuit against her husband’s surgeon and the hospital. It was settled days into the trial and was the first of a dozen gastric bypass malpractice cases he’s handled. canada goose coats on sale
canadian goose jacket Praszkier explains, “The most common problem in bariatric surgery in the cases I take (which are only death cases) is that the post operative canada goose outlet locations in toronto care was insufficient.” canadian goose jacket
Canada Goose Parka Nora Malone is Praszkier’s most recent client. She tried to talk her husband, Ron, out of the surgery. Canada Goose Parka
canada goose clearance sale “I said, ‘Let’s go. Let’s just go.’ And he said, ‘Oh, I’ll be OK, honey. You’ll be so proud of me when I get out of here,’ ” Malone recalls. canada goose clearance sale
Nora Malone met her husband when he was a naval officer stationed in the Philippines in 1973. They had three daughters.
Their daughter. Liberty. says, canada goose outlet store uk “When they went to talk to the doctors, they came back thinking it was a good thing. You know, he’d get off his high blood pressure medicine, his diabetes medicine.”
Malone had laparascopic gastric bypass surgery just before Thanksgiving 2003.
“They said there’s no risk,” Nora Malone says.
uk canada goose outlet But days after the surgery, Ron Malone became very ill. Doctors told his family there was a leak and operated again. He didn’t improve. uk canada goose outlet
Nora Malone recalls, “And I said, ‘I think you have to do something, doctor.’ And he said, ‘Mrs. Malone, trust me, your husband is OK.’ ”
On Dec. 9, 2003, Ron Malone died during his third surgery. The official cause of death: cardiac arrest. More accurately, Malone died from complications of gastric bypass surgery.
Dr. Harvey Sugerman says, “There is a risk of a leak following gastric bypass that can be fatal.”
Dr. Sugerman is a retired bariatric surgeon and the president of the American Society for Bariatric Surgery (ASBS). He says early diagnosis of a problem is the key.
“I think some doctors got into it without adequate training and experience and felt that they could do this,” Dr. Sugerman says, “The ASBS is very concerned about deaths after obesity surgery. And we are doing everything we can to improve quality care by establishing the Center of Excellence program.”
This program will have stringent guidelines that must be met in order for a bariatric surgery facility to be called, “a Center of Excellence.” When the program launches in June, information will be posted on a Web site to help patients find quality doctors and hospitals. Unfortunately, it comes too late for Ron Malone.