‘My life has been ruined’ - botched weight loss surgery leads to near death

Deborah Field, 58, underwent gastric bypass surgery at Spire Washington Hospital in January 2024. She says the procedure has left her in constant pain, unable to eat or drink normally, and reliant on nutritional supplements and pureed food. She continues to suffer persistent sickness and is now receiving ongoing treatment for multiple conditions linked to the surgery.

Deborah, from Darlington, was later forced to undergo emergency surgery at Darlington Memorial Hospital after developing a life‑threatening leak that led to severe sepsis. She credits the hospital’s surgical team, and her GP practice, Moorlands Surgery, with saving her life through their rapid intervention.

Subsequent investigations revealed that part of her gastric bypass had been left “kinked”, which had likely caused the leak. She has been offered further surgery but has been warned it carries significant risk and may not improve her condition. She is also receiving counselling from Darlington Memorial Hospital to help her cope with the psychological impact.

“I cannot understand how you can have what is quite a common surgery and something like this can happen,” says Deborah.

“I was hours away from death with sepsis because everything I was eating and drinking was flooding my organs rather than going into my stomach. I cannot believe what has happened, my life has been ruined.”

Deborah underwent the original surgery on January 9, 2024, and was discharged the following day. She says that shortly afterwards she developed extensive black bruising across her torso, blood in her urine and overwhelming pain. Despite calling and emailing her surgeon, bariatric consultant Mr Zaher Toumi, she says she was repeatedly told her symptoms were “normal”.

Mr Toumi was previously named in an inquest as the surgeon who carried out gastric sleeve surgery on Wearside businesswoman Nicola Fisher in June 2023. Nicola died on January 11, 2024, following complications from her operation.

Concerned for Deborah’s condition, a friend who had previously undergone gastric sleeve surgery took her back to Spire Washington Hospital on January 15. She recalls being examined by the on-call registrar and being placed on nil by mouth, having been told she required urgent surgery and should notify her family.

However, Deborah says that when Mr Toumi later arrived, he stood at the doorway of her room, did not examine her, and told her that “all is normal” before discharging her – she was not even given the scan she was told she would receive if there were any suspicions around the success of her operation.

“I was in agony and I knew something wasn’t right,” she says. “It’s not normal to be black with bruising across your whole upper body or to be in that level of pain.”

Her friend had to lift her from the hospital bed into a wheelchair and then into the car to take her home. Deborah says she was unable to walk and in severe pain.

On January 19, she visited her GP, who told her she needed to go to A&E immediately. At Darlington Memorial Hospital, she underwent emergency surgery after presenting with severe pain, dizziness and nausea.

Deborah spent three months in hospital, including time in intensive care. Nurses nicknamed her “Lazarus” because she had been so close to death. She later had to move into a rehabilitation care home as she was unable to care for herself.

“If I hadn’t gone to my GP, I would have been dead. I had hours to live,” she recalls. “My mum was a nurse and I always trusted medical professionals completely, but after what happened, I couldn’t for a long time.”

Her life, she says, has been permanently altered. “I’m so weak and struggle with so many things. I have to eat pureed food and dietitian shakes. Everything has to be planned.”

In 2025, she underwent further surgery in an attempt to improve her condition, but it was unsuccessful. She continues to receive treatment from Darlington Memorial Hospital and her GP surgery, and has been diagnosed with additional conditions linked to the original operation.

“It never stops,” she said. “Psychologically, if I really let myself think about what has happened, I’d be in a much worse place.”

Deborah has instructed law firm Slater and Gordon to investigate what went wrong during her surgery at Spire Washington Hospital. She is represented by specialist clinical negligence principal lawyer John Lowther, who is also acting for Peter Fisher, the husband of Nicola Fisher, in his search for answers following his wife’s death.

“Deborah has had an absolutely devastating experience,” John says.

“From undergoing what she hoped would be life‑enhancing weight‑loss surgery, her life has been ruined. There are certainly questions to be answered about her surgery and the levels of care she received at Spire Washington Hospital. We will work tirelessly to find out exactly what happened to ensure Deborah has the answers she needs and deserves.”