Bariatric surgery, while often life-changing, can sometimes lead to unexpected complications. If you or a loved one has suffered due to bariatric surgery complications in the UK, you may be entitled to compensation. This article will explore the potential complications of bariatric surgery, your legal rights, and how to navigate the compensation claims process.
Understanding Bariatric Surgery
Bariatric surgery encompasses a range of procedures designed to help individuals struggling with obesity achieve significant weight loss. These procedures work by altering the digestive system, either by restricting food intake or by causing malabsorption of nutrients, or both.
Common types of bariatric surgery include:
- Gastric bypass
- Sleeve gastrectomy
- Adjustable gastric banding
- Biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch
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Potential Complications of Bariatric Surgery
While bariatric surgery has a high success rate, complications can occur. These complications can range from minor, temporary issues to serious, long-term health problems.
Some potential complications include:
- Leakage: This can occur at the site where the stomach or intestines are stapled or sutured during surgery. Leakage can lead to infection and other serious complications.
- Internal bleeding: This can occur during or after surgery. It can lead to significant blood loss and may require additional surgery.
- Infection: Infections can occur at the surgical site or internally. They can lead to complications like abscesses or sepsis.
- Blood clots: These can form in the legs or lungs after surgery. They can be life-threatening if they travel to the lungs (pulmonary embolism).
- Nutritional deficiencies: Bariatric surgery can lead to deficiencies in essential vitamins and minerals. This can cause a range of health problems, including anemia, osteoporosis, and nerve damage.
- Dumping syndrome: This occurs when food moves too quickly from the stomach to the small intestine. It can cause symptoms like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps.
- Bowel obstruction: This can occur when scar tissue forms and blocks the intestines. It can cause severe pain, nausea, vomiting, and constipation.
When Complications Become Negligence
While complications can occur even with the best surgical care, sometimes they are the result of negligence. Negligence in bariatric surgery can take many forms, including:
Surgical errors:
These can include errors during the procedure itself, such as cutting or stapling the wrong part of the stomach or intestines, or leaving surgical instruments inside the body.
Inadequate pre-operative assessment:
Failure to properly assess a patient’s suitability for surgery or to identify potential risks can lead to complications.
Inadequate post-operative care:
Failure to provide adequate monitoring and follow-up care after surgery can lead to complications being missed or not treated promptly.
Failure to obtain informed consent:
Patients must be fully informed of the risks and benefits of surgery before giving consent. Failure to provide this information can be considered negligence.
Claiming Compensation for Bariatric Surgery Complications
If you believe you have suffered complications due to negligence in bariatric surgery, you may be entitled to compensation. This compensation can help cover the costs of additional medical treatment, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
To make a successful claim, you will need to prove:
- You suffered harm: This could be physical injury, psychological trauma, or financial loss.
- The harm was caused by negligence: You will need to show that the healthcare professional breached their duty of care and that this breach caused your harm.
- The negligence was a significant factor in causing your harm: It’s not enough to show that negligence occurred; you must show that it was a major factor in causing your complications.
Making a Medical Negligence Claim with National Claims
At National Claims, we understand that medical procedures can go wrong, sometimes due to errors or negligence on the part of healthcare professionals. If you believe you’ve suffered harm as a result of substandard medical care, our team is here to help you understand your rights and explore your options for pursuing compensation.
Free Consultation
Let’s start with a free consultation to discuss the details of your experience. We’ll listen to you with compassion, assess the circumstances surrounding your medical treatment, and offer initial advice on whether you have grounds for a strong claim.
*No Win, No Fee
National Claims believes that everyone deserves access to justice, regardless of financial circumstances. That’s why we operate on a “No Win, No Fee” basis. You won’t have to pay upfront legal fees, and our fees will come from a percentage of your compensation if your claim is successful. This means you can seek legal support without additional financial worry.
*Customers pay up to 25% (incl. VAT) of the amount recovered towards solicitor costs and if you cancel outside your cooling off period, you may be charged a fee.
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