clearly we should cap all medical lawsuits at $25,000....

She got thinner, didn't she?

While all surgeries have inherent risks, avoiding practices called 1-800-GET-THIN might mitigate some of those risks.

TheDumbBlonde: While all surgeries have inherent risks, avoiding practices called 1-800-GET-THIN might mitigate some of those risks.

they market that stuff like LASIK now. it's strip-mall surgery... yet it's still surgery, with all the risks of infection. then again, when your surgeon got his degree from Hollywood Upstairs Medical College, all bets are off...

He continued that it is criminal negligence to "Not tell patients like John's wife that they cut her liver three places during the surgery and put her in a wheelchair and sent her home to die."

well obviously we can't have them dying in the front lobby. the cleaning staff charges extra for corpse removal and disposal!

Good thing she didn't use some sort of government-run clinic or go to *gulp* Canada....

FTFA.

"KCAL 9 spoke with John Faitro (video above), who lost his wife Laura in July 2010 just days after her Lap-Band surgery, and Faitro's attorney, Alexander Robertson."

Did anyone else see this? Apparently they lost Faitro's attorney as well as the wife. That is quite a coincidence.

Ugh, I HATE these places. A friend of mine had gastric bypass and walked out of 4 doctors' offices because they were stacking up lap-band patient surgeries like mad. No psychological exam, no counseling, no follow-up w/a dietician--just, "Oh, you'll lose weight in no time!" It's not a miracle pill--those surgeries are just to kick-start your weight loss and force you to eat sensibly. However, if nobody bothers to retrain someone who's been eating Whoppers & fries most of their lives, it's not going to work & they'll have complications.

Places like this prey on women with low self-esteem who are desperate to lose weight. And they perform so many surgeries, right after another, that mistakes are made during the procedure and little to no after-care is given.

namegoeshere: A death rate of 1 in 2000 seems high to me for an elective surgery.

Not when the doctor's office is next to a Pier One and you have Groupon.

I know a cheaper, safer and well known alternative method that is totally non invasive.

Giant billboards along the Interstate aren't a good way to choose a surgeon? Who knew?

basemetal: I know a cheaper, safer and well known alternative method that is totally non invasive.

Yes, but surveys show that elective surgery tests higher than both diet and exercise.

/Better off Ted joke
//But it's true

Every goddamn surgeon wants a piece of the Laproscopic surgery trend. Good money, and less risk than open surgery.....usually.
All it takes is a doctor going too fast with his scope and tools to create nicks in the liver, bowel, etc.
Patient gets discharged with a leak in the abdomen, develops sepsis and comes into the ER with no hope of recovery, especially if already obese and compromised with other health problems related to obesity.

I recovered a guy post operatively several years ago after a laproscopic cholescystecomy (gall bladder removal). The surgeon ordered that he could go home in the morning. The patient wanted to go home that evening. Surgeon said it was okay to go. I didn't feel good about it. The guy returns in a couple of days to ER just like above, and dies.
Same surgeon had numerous incidents like this. Had a lawyer call me at home about another incident where a death happened and he was representing the hospital. I told him bluntly my opinion of the surgeon. As far as I know nothing came of the family lawsuit, and, the surgeon is still operating.

As to the article. The manufacturer is trying to distance itself from future litigation. Its not the band, but the doctor who applies it that creates the outcome.

/IMHO
// 30+ yr. RN

TheDumbBlonde: While all surgeries have inherent risks, avoiding practices called 1-800-GET-THIN might mitigate some of those risks.

Not so easy though. Have you heard their commercial jingle?

♪♫ Let your new life begin
Call 1-800 GET THIN ♪♫

It's pretty good. Almost as good as 1-877 Kars 4 Kids.

Dumski: Every goddamn surgeon wants a piece of the Laproscopic surgery trend.

tell me about it. i used to work for a hospital marketing communications firm. every big hospital pushes bariatric surgery. it's a huge moneymaker for them. but there's a big difference between getting it done at, say, a university hospital and a strip mall.

FlashHarry: clearly we should cap all medical lawsuits at $25,000....

don't be frivolous

1-800-GET-THIN has been very aggressive in suing critics. They even sued the LA Times and claimed that one of its reporters was part of a racketeering conspiracy to harm its business.

They won't climb out from this.