NYC public hospital is accused of pushing weight loss surgery on at least 11 Rikers Island inmates – who were all sent back to prison where they had little control over their diets and became malnourished

A New York City hospital is facing accusations of forcing weight-loss surgeries on at least eleven inmates at Rikers Island, all of whom were sent back to prison where they suffered malnutrition due to limited control over their diets.

Bellevue Hospital has reportedly performed lucrative weight-loss surgeries on thousands of patients, including 11 inmates, the New York Times reports. research showed.

The weight-loss surgery program, described as a “high-speed assembly line,” has endangered patients from New York's Rikers Island prison complex, a notoriously dangerous county jail in Queens.

The inmates were not informed of the risks, entered the operating room unprepared and faced recovery challenges when they returned to Rikers, two inmates told the newspaper.

The hospital suggested inmates eat small, high-protein meals, including low-fat Greek yogurt and sugar-free Crystal Light drinks, and try Zumba dance classes.

Bellevue Hospital has reportedly performed lucrative weight-loss surgeries on thousands of patients, including Luis Perez (pictured) and ten other inmates from the Rikers Island jail

The weight-loss surgery program, described as a “fast-track assembly line,” has recruited patients from New York's Rikers Island jail complex, a notoriously dangerous county jail in Queens.

The Times investigation shows that Bellevue Hospital, an overwhelmed public hospital that serves patients who receive Medicaid or are uninsured, put thousands of patients at risk by performing weight-loss surgeries to make a profit.

The patients included David Mustiga, Luis Perez and nine other Rikers Island inmates, who had no chance of dieting before or after surgery.

Mustiga said he was not warned about the challenges of recovering from the surgery before it was performed

The 43-year-old, who was later convicted of drug trafficking, thought he was visiting the hospital to have blood tests done before the operation until he was placed on a liquid diet in the hospital's prison ward.

He was then told by a doctor that this was his only chance to undergo the procedure or he would be immediately sent back to prison.

“Tell someone it's their last chance, and they find their wallet pretty quickly,” he said, comparing the tactic to what he previously used with drug clients.

After the surgery, he was sent back to Rikers, where he had to trade cigarettes for protein powder.

The inmate lost more than 100 pounds in less than six months and suffered from anemia. His hair also fell out significantly.

Perez, another inmate who had the operation just before Mustiga, said that “the pain was worse than when he had been hit by a car and lost his arm above the elbow.”

He was later transferred to Franklin Correctional, a prison in upstate New York, near the Canadian border.

He couldn't eat without vomiting and feared the surgery had made him a target in prison, he told Times reporters in August.

His concern turned out to be justified, as in October he was severely beaten by someone who stole the protein power he had been saving.

The hospital suggested inmates consume small, protein-rich meals, including low-fat Greek yogurt and sugar-free Crystal Light drinks, and try Zumba dance classes.

The substantial increase in the number of weight loss surgeries performed can be traced back to 2007, when Manish Parikh (pictured), then a young surgeon, helped set up the new department.

Christopher Miller, a spokesman for Bellevue, told the Times that the inmates were “screened and assessed like all others” when the operation was conducted.

He added that all patients signed confirmation forms and were aware of the risks of the surgery.

“The information is being discussed at several points,” he said.

Bellevue Hospital hosted a fashion celebration for patients who underwent bariatric surgery last month.

The patients walked the red carpet proudly showing off their slim bodies after weight loss surgery as their before photos were projected on the screen behind them.

The hospital aims to perform a record 3,000 weight-loss operations this year, the study found.

The substantial increase in the number of weight loss surgeries performed can be traced back to 2007, when Manish Parikh, then a young surgeon, helped set up the new department.

He was paid partly based on the number of operations he performed, which the spokesman described as a “very common” practice.

Aaron Cohen, the hospital's chief financial officer in 2015, told Times reporters that he was impressed by Dr. Parikh's speed.

“If he promised to do 100 cases, he would have done 100 cases,” Cohen said. “The whole time I was there, he didn't miss a single target.”

Doctors and staff said the operating rooms at Bellevue, the largest public hospital in New York, are overcrowded with patients and surgeons undergoing weight-loss surgery.

People with minor wounds and broken bones had to wait for hours for treatment.

The department, now led by Patrikh, performed 1,192 procedures in 2020 and 2,071 operations in 2021. The team is on track for 3,000 this year.