Jeffrey Monash, MD, a bariatric surgeon at Tucson Bariatric, told the publication that patient Jeremy Marine’s surgery had been “extraordinarily difficult and prolonged.” Mr. Marine remained in the hospital for three days after the procedure and began to develop an infected hematoma and fluid began to build up in his stomach, according to the report.
The hospital flagged Jeremy at risk for further infection. According to the report, Dr. Monash’s partner, another surgeon, ordered a CT scan to check for leakage six days after the procedure, which Dr. Monash claims did not show signs of complications and Mr. Marine was discharged without antibiotics.
Mr. Marine was still in pain 11 days after surgery, according to court records. He was then re-admitted to the emergency room where physicians found him to be in a state of “severe sepsis.” On the 14th day after surgery, at home, Mr. Marine took a dose of pain medication and went into cardiac arrest. He later died.
The plaintiffs’ legal team brought in outside bariatric and general surgeons to testify. They claimed that Dr. Monash missed “abnormal findings” on the CT scan. The plaintiffs’ lawyers also claimed that there are up to 13 other deaths that can be tied to Dr. Monash, which he denied in the report. Dr. Monash is appealing the verdict and requesting a new trial.
Becker’s has reached out to Tucson Bariatric and will update this story if more information becomes available.
