Gastric bypass surgeries have been the subject of a great deal of medical controversy. Some patients have died as a result of these drastic surgeries, and in response the medical community has made it difficult to obtain all of the necessary approvals to undergo the procedure.

Most recently, the case of Notre Dame football coach Charlie Weis shined the national spotlight on this controversial procedure. Weis and his attorneys alleged that his doctors failed to recognize life-threatening complications after his 2002 gastric bypass surgery, allowing him to bleed internally for more than a day. During the testimony of a medical expert in the case, a juror collapsed and was aided by the defendant physicians, which prompted the judge to grant a mistrial. A new trial has been set for July 16.

While the case of Coach Weis is bound to make national headlines again in the near future, many individuals will continue to move forward with these risky procedures without adequately considering all of the associated risks. Our firm has evaluated several cases involving botched gastric bypass surgeries, and we encourage anyone who is considering this procedure to weigh all of the dangers before making a decision.