Summary
A Wilmington South Carolina doctor had spent years developing a reputation among overweight patients as a sort of "miracle doctor." Now, at least 50 patients have accused him of promising to do one gastric bypass surgery, and then actually performing another. In the wake of the scandal, the doctor has resigned from the Wilmington hospital and taken up practice in Michigan. Attorneys for the patients say some have suffered life threatening complications.
Original source:
http://www.wect.com/Global/story.asp?S=2925631&nav=2gQcWCNh
Details
Dr. Steven Olchowski performed more than 500 surgeries in his tenure at New Hanover Regional Medical Center.
Some overweight patients once called him a miracle doctor.
Now he's accused of lying under the knife.
Olchowski's accusers say he performed one operation, and told patients it was another.
It may have happened to more than 50 patients.
"They're feeling as though they've been physically violated," says lawyer Jennifer Umbaugh, who is representing four of Olchowski's patients in a lawsuit.
"They've had numerous life threatening complications, hospitalization and revision surgery."
Dr. Olchowski resigned from the hospital two years ago, but he is still practicing medicine in Michigan.
Over three years ago patients went in for a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery.
That's where the bile is directed away from the stomach.
Instead of receiving the Roux-en-Y surgery, the lawsuit contends they received a mini gastric bypass surgery.
That's where the bile is directed into the stomach.
Dr. David Miles is on the Bariatric Board in New Hanover County.
He explains the mini-surgery is faster and simpler.
"About 10-percent will have long term side effects, side effects like vomiting and nausea," Dr. Miles says.
Umbaugh believes officials at the hospital knew what happened, and didn't react.
Dr. Sam Spicer says as soon as his staff learned about these allegations, they investigated and notified those patients.
Doctors at New Hanover Regional Medical Center no longer perform mini
gastric bypass surgery, but they say that decision has nothing to do with this lawsuit.
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Wednesday, February 16, 2005
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