Obesity Surgery is not just a quick fix!

Posted 17/10/2012

A report today published by the charity, National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Income and Death (NCEPOD), states that patients are simply not being advised of the risk of gastric bands and a gastric bypass prior to undertaking surgery.  A staggering 20% of patients who undergo this type of surgery have to be readmitted to hospital following known complications and 7% of those have to have a second operation to rectify those complications.

Sharon Allison, a medical injury lawyer with Ashtons Legal solicitors, says: “In recent years we have seen a number of cases where the consenting process has not been adequate and patients have been left with appalling injuries as a result of what is very major surgery.”

“I have seen cases where private companies offering this sort of surgery are not helping the problem by promoting the surgery as something that is run of the mill and easily accessible. Bariatric surgery is anything but run of the mill and should only be contemplated after very careful consideration and lengthy consultation with a doctor”.

“For a patient who is considerably overweight, the bariatric surgery is really the beginning of a very long and risky process. Even if they are fortunate enough not to suffer complications from the initial surgery, they still potentially have to face further operations to deal with the excess skin which can be quite drastic after considerable weight loss.”

“The report from NCEPOD has raised concerns that the use of celebrities in advertising can give a false sense of security and therefore these companies must be more stringent than ever to ensure that the patient properly understands the risks of surgery and that proper informed consent has been obtained”.

If you have a medical injury claim and wish to speak to a lawyer, please contact Sharon Allison or any member of the medical injury team on 01842 752401.