An obese mother… had undergone gastric bypass surgery but kept it secret from her family and started eating too much after the operation.
Her oesophagus swelled to the size of a normal stomach and food built up all the way to her throat, causing her to suffocate, an inquest in Truro, Cornwall, heard.
The inquest heard that the gastric bypass had a ‘massive impact’ on her weight and had reduced her BMI and blood pressure. [Her GP] said ‘By November she was as fit as I had seen her apart from the depression.’
In a narrative verdict, deputy coroner Andrew Cox said: ”This is not a natural cause of death. It is not an accident because she chose to eat. She died of a known complication of an elective surgical procedure of a gastric bypass.’
Areas to think about:
- What sort of counselling should people considering gastric bypass surgery have?
- Do you agree with the coroner’s verdict?
- What are your thoughts about the GP’s statement regarding the patient’s health?
Discussion
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