Weis sues gastric bypass surgeons - not a joke

[WayzUp]

Turns out Charlie Weis tried to do something other than just cut down on eating and exercising to take care of his ballooning weight issues. Also turns out the procedure didn't exactly go as planned (I don't remember this for some reason??) and the complications put him in a coma for 2 weeks back in 2002 & now he's suing the docs.

At any rate, the trial starts next month and he's altering the spring practice schedule to accomodate the proceedings. Kinda makes me wonder if this whole thing maybe distracted him from signing a lot of the top-tier defensive players they were going after when it's obviously their area of need.
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Article Linkage (http://www.wane.com/Global/story.asp?S=5982067&nav=0RYd)
BOSTON Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis' medical malpractice suit against two Boston doctors is scheduled to go to trial next month.
Weis nearly died after undergoing gastric bypass surgery in June 2002, when he was the offensive coordinator for the New England Patriots. Weis had the operation to lose weight after battling chronic obesity for years.

Weis began bleeding internally soon after the operation and was in a coma for two weeks.

His lawsuit alleges that Massachusetts General Hospital physicians Charles Ferguson and Richard Hodin acted negligently. The doctors deny they did anything wrong.

Weis has reportedly altered Notre Dame's spring football schedule to accommodate the trial.

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady -- who stayed at Weis' bedside for much of the ordeal -- is expected to be called as a witness.
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[bigsexxxy]

Oh man those surgeons are D-E-A-D! When The Golden Boy is called to testify against you, you know its over.

[WayzUp]

It's on...

Notre Dame coach claims malpractice in obesity surgery
By KEN MAGUIRE<, Associated Press Writer
February 13, 2007

BOSTON (AP) -- The lawyer for Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis said Tuesday that doctors failed to recognize life-threatening complications after Weis' gastric bypass surgery, allowing him to bleed internally for more than a day.

Weis' lawyer, Michael Mone, made his comments at the start of the coach's malpractice trial.

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Weis had the surgery in June 2002 while he was an assistant coach for the New England Patriots after battling obesity for years. He weighed about 350 pounds at the time.

Weis alleges in the lawsuit that Massachusetts General Hospital physicians Charles Ferguson and Richard Hodin acted negligently and left Weis so close to death that he received the Roman Catholic sacrament of last rites. He was in a coma for two weeks.

The doctors maintain they did nothing wrong.

Weis reported complications, including difficulty breathing, in the early morning a day after his surgery, Mone said in an opening statement in Suffolk Superior Court. The following day, doctors performed another surgery to fix problems caused by the initial procedure.

"For more than 30 hours, Mr. Weis continued to bleed," Mone said.

William J. Dailey Jr., an attorney for the doctors, told jurors the doctors acted appropriately and that Weis was believed to be in good condition the morning of the second procedure.

"There was no carelessness," Dailey said. "Unfortunately, Mr. Weis experienced one of the complications that is known to exist."

Ferguson performed the surgery, then left for the weekend. Hodin was charged with caring for Ferguson's patients while the doctor was gone, and performed the follow-up surgery.

Weis, who was expected to testify later Tuesday, was seeking unspecified damages.
LINKAGE (http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/news?slug=ap-weis-surgerylawsuit&prov=ap&type=lgns)

[JerseyVol]

Interestingly enough, Tom Brady has challenged the doctors to a trial by ordeal. If they escape the bear pit then God deems them innocent, if not...then it works itself out very nicely.

[gatorunvrsty]

Even if they hadn't screwed up and almost killed the man, I think it's safe to say the surgery was not a success in any sense of the word. He certainly didn't "slim down".

[CrimsonTide12xs]

Even if they hadn't screwed up and almost killed the man, I think it's safe to say the surgery was not a success in any sense of the word. He certainly didn't "slim down".
LOL! A success it was not! I doubt he wins this case. That is one of the complications of that surgery. Fatboy needs to get on an eliptical and burn the bearings out of the thing. Or he could try the Nutrisystem thing that Daddy Don Shula has been advertising, plus Tony Little's amazing Gazelle:laugh:

[WayzUp]

A lot of the Domers up here are sentimental to Weis's case and hope he wins but they're kinda creased that his lawsuit is forcing the team to move quite a few spring practice events around to accomodate it. I'm not sure exactly what had to be rescheduled in terms of team practices and what-not but with an all but overhauled coaching staff and a bunch of positions needing starters replaced, this definitely isn't the best timing for a malpractice (read: long, drawn out trial) lawsuit if you're an Irish fan.

Who knows though....the docs could get there, agree to some settlement on the first day and call it good. Weis can't be hurting that badly for money so it'll be interesting to see how long this gets dragged out and what affect it has on the football teams' spring/summer routine.

[GamecockDieHard]

Those surgeries have a very high complications rate. But if his suit is true, it's not a good thing that they didn't know he was bleeding internally. Mass General and malpractice are almost oxymoronic. Not cause they're infallible, but because most everyone else think they are.

[gatorunvrsty]

LOL! A success it was not! I doubt he wins this case. That is one of the complications of that surgery. Fatboy needs to get on an eliptical and burn the bearings out of the thing. Or he could try the Nutrisystem thing that Daddy Don Shula has been advertising, plus Tony Little's amazing Gazelle:laugh:

I think the only thing that'll slim him down at this point is the tried and true (but extremely dangerous) Jenny Crack or Jenny Crank diet. It does have some scary side effects, but you'll definitely waste away in no time.:whistle:

[Yazzer]

WOW!!!--I hate to hear about this---negative publicity for both sides and I certainly am sorry that Weis had to endure bad health b/c of procedure. This thing will only get nasty when Charlie wheels in "touchdown Jesus", the "Golden Dome", NBC and Tom Brady ( We all know he ranks 3rd in the hierarchy of religious icons behind you know who) to testify. Stay tuned........

[BamaMatt]

Time for Weiss to sign up with Globo Gym.

[WayzUp]

Charlie's gonna have a hard time winning this one, I think....
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Weis testifies in obesity surgery lawsuit
By MARK PRATT, Associated Press Writer
February 14, 2007

Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis gets back to his seat, after testifying, as judge Charles Spurlock, right, looks on during Weis' medical malpractice lawsuit trial at Suffolk Superior Court in Boston, Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2007. Weis, alleges in the lawsuit that Massachusetts General Hospital physicians Charles Ferguson and Richard Hodin, not shown, acted negligently and left Weis so close to death that he received the Roman Catholic sacrament of last rites.

BOSTON (AP) -- Despite the potential risks, Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis decided to have gastric bypass surgery because he was afraid he would one day "drop dead" if he didn't lose weight.

Weis, who suffered life-threatening complications and nearly died after the June 2002 surgery, testified Wednesday in his medical malpractice case against two surgeons that he has struggled with his weight all his life.

"I've probably been on every diet known to mankind," he said in response to questions from his lawyer, Michael Mone.

Weis, whose father died of a heart attack at 56, said he worried he wouldn't be able to see his two children grow up or reach his goal of becoming a head coach.

"The foremost concern was that I was going to drop dead," Weis said when his lawyer asked about his motivation for the surgery.

Weis claims in his suit that Massachusetts General Hospital physicians Charles Ferguson and Richard Hodin acted negligently by failing to recognize life-threatening internal bleeding and infection two days after the surgery.

Defense lawyers have said the doctors cared for Weis properly and that he experienced one of the known complications of the surgery.

Weis spent more than a month in the hospital after the surgery, lost feeling in his feet, and has had mobility problems since the surgery. He still needs a golf cart to get around practice at Notre Dame, and standing for up to five hours straight during games causes him severe foot pain.

Weis, the former offensive coordinator of the New England Patriots, decided to have the surgery shortly after the Patriots' February 2002 Super Bowl victory over the St. Louis Rams.

"I was watching the DVD of the Super Bowl, and I just looked at myself on the sideline and I said, 'We got a problem here,"' Weis testified on the second day of the trial in Suffolk Superior Court.

He thought his weight, about 336 pounds at the time, was thwarting his career.

"I looked at the DVD and said, 'If I were hiring, I wouldn't hire him,"' he said.

William J. Dailey Jr., a lawyer for the doctors, suggested under cross examination of Weis that the surgery was successful because it helped Weis achieve his stated goals: He lost nearly 90 pounds and landed his dream job at Notre Dame.

Dailey also asked Weis about his prior history of health problems, including sleep apnea and hemochromatosis, an iron overload in the body, and asked if he fully realized all the risks of bypass surgery. Five to 10 percent of patients suffer major complications, Dailey said, and about 1 in 200 die.

Maura Weis, wife of Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis, testifies during Weis' medical malpractice lawsuit trial at Suffolk Superior Court in Boston, Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2007. Weis, alleges in the lawsuit that Massachusetts General Hospital physicians Charles Ferguson and Richard Hodin, not shown, acted negligently and left Weis so close to death that he received the Roman Catholic sacrament of last rites.

Weis said he did know about the potential complications. "Yes sir, (Dr. Ferguson) definitely told me there were other risks," he said.

Dailey also pointed out the doctors waived the normal counseling period before the operation -- at Weis' request -- so he could be healthy in time for the following football season.

Weis said he was so secretive about his decision to have the surgery that he didn't tell his wife until about two weeks before the operation. The only member of the Patriots he confided in besides the team doctor was quarterback Tom Brady.

Maura Weis testified she was upset when she found out her husband was getting the operation because of the known risks, and that when she saw him in the hospital afterward she thought he might die.

Weis said he remembered waking up in the hospital's intensive care unit after the surgery and seeing Brady and a priest at his bedside. Brady was not in court Wednesday, but may testify later.

Weis is seeking unspecified damages. The trial continues Thursday.
Linkage (http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/news?slug=ap-weis-surgerylawsuit&prov=ap&type=lgns)

[CrimsonTide12xs]

I think the only thing that'll slim him down at this point is the tried and true (but extremely dangerous) Jenny Crack or Jenny Crank diet. It does have some scary side effects, but you'll definitely waste away in no time.:whistle:What? Like picking a hole in your face. Or is it that your teeth and hair fall out and you just generally look like hammered dog sh.t.:laugh:

[WayzUp]

SORRY CHARLIE!
BOSTON -- A jury found against Notre Dame football coach Charlie Weis on Tuesday in his malpractice lawsuit against two doctors he claimed botched his care after he had gastric bypass surgery five years ago.

The jury deliberated for less than half a day before finding Massachusetts General Hospital surgeons Charles Ferguson and Richard Hodin were not negligent.

Weis, 51, who won three Super Bowls as the offensive coordinator for the New England Patriots, accused the surgeons of negligence, saying they allowed him to bleed internally for 30 hours before performing a second surgery to correct the complication.

Weis nearly died after the 2002 surgery. He testified that he still has numbness and pain in his feet and sometimes has to use a motorized cart.

Weis was stoic as the verdict was read and left the courtroom without comment. His lawyer, Michael Mone, did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

The doctors declined to comment as they left the courtroom, referring questions to their attorney, William Dailey Jr.

"They and all of the staff down at the Mass. General wished Coach Weis well," Dailey said.

Ferguson, director of Massachusetts General's surgical residency program, and Hodin, a surgeon and professor at Harvard Medical School, said internal bleeding was a well-known complication of the stomach stapling surgery. They said they believed the bleeding would stop on its own and were concerned about performing a second surgery because of the risk of a pulmonary embolism.

Ferguson testified that Weis ignored his advice and pushed to have the operation done quickly rather than going through a recommended six-week preoperative program.

Lawyers for the doctors told the jury that Weis, who weighed about 350 pounds before the surgery, lost about 100 pounds over the next year and landed one of the premier coaching jobs in the country at Notre Dame, his alma mater.

The first trial ended in a mistrial in February after Ferguson and Hodin rushed to the aid of a juror who collapsed in the courtroom.

Weis decided to have the surgery after seeing a slimmed-down Al Roker on television. With a family history of heart disease, he said he was motivated by a desire not to leave his wife a widow.

Weis testified that he told only two people, his wife and Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, about his decision. He told New England coach Bill Belichick he was going to have a "stomach procedure."

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press

[The Ramp]

Lawyers for the doctors told the jury that Weis, who weighed about 350 pounds before the surgery, lost about 100 pounds over the next year and landed one of the premier coaching jobs in the country at Notre Dame, his alma mater.

not to make light of his situation, but there is no way wies is 250lbs. did i read that right?

[nooneLT]

i knew he wasn't gonna win. the doctors up there are much respected, mayo clinic, harvard med school...

and ramp, maybe he meant 250 kg? haha

[crimsonnation713]

Lawyers for the doctors told the jury that Weis, who weighed about 350 pounds before the surgery, lost about 100 pounds over the next year and landed one of the premier coaching jobs in the country at Notre Dame, his alma mater.

not to make light of his situation, but there is no way wies is 250lbs. did i read that right?



His head weighs that much.