Woman Dies After Lap-Band Surgery

A local woman has died after undergoing Lap-Band surgery at a West Hills clinic.

Paula Rojeski, 55, of Ladera Ranch, became the fifth Lap-Band patient to die since 2009, the Los Angeles Times reported. Paramedics rushed Rojeski on Sept. 8 from Valley Surgical Center to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead, said Los Angeles County Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter. Investigators have been unable to establish a cause of death so far.

Rojeski was the second patient to undergo Lap-Band surgery at Valley
Surgical Center and die. The other three deaths occurred after patients were treated at clinic on Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills.

Both clinics, each of which has used more than one name, receive
patients referred via the 1-800-GET-THIN advertising campaign.

The Lap-Band, made by Irvine-based Allergan, is a silicone ring that is
surgically implanted around the stomach to discourage overeating. The
surgeries cost from $12,000 to about $20,000 and often are covered by insurance.

The deaths have given rise to wrongful death and personal injury
lawsuits. Another lawsuit, seeking class-action status, accuses 1-800-GET-THIN of false advertising, saying the ads failed to provide adequate warnings about the risks of the surgery.

Wrongful death lawsuits allege that two brothers, Julian and Michael
Omidi, were part of a "joint venture" that included the surgery centers and the 1-800-GET-THIN marketing firm.

Both Omidis have been disciplined by the state medical board over issues unrelated to 1-800-GET-THIN, according to state records. Dr. Michael Omidi, listed as owner of the outpatient center where Rojeski had her surgery, did not return a telephone call seeking comment about Rojeski's death.

Attorney Robert Silverman sent a reply authorized by Omidi.

"Any loss of life is tragic and our hearts and prayers go out to the
family and loved ones," the statement said. "The surgery center you are discussing is fully accredited by a prestigious organization. It is my
understanding that the center is conducting a full investigation of the events that transpired. Any reporting on this matter is premature."

The 1-800-GET-THIN campaign and the Omidi brothers have filed a series of lawsuits against The Times, its journalists and website commenters over the newspaper's coverage of the surgery deaths.

—City News Service