Was a 5-foot-1, 189-pound woman with a BMI of 34 a suitable candidate for gastric bypass surgery? A federal judge has weighed in with his second opinion: a resounding no.

The judge awarded $4.25 million to the woman, Christina Mettias, who suffers from severe and lifelong complications after she underwent gastric bypass surgery in September 2010 at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Ms. Mettias's lawyers argued she wasn't suitable for gastric bypass. She had enrolled in Tripler's weight-loss program months before undergoing surgery and had lost 34 pounds through diet and exercise. Plus, her lawyers said that her BMI was too low for gastric bypass. Despite these factors, Tripler recommended that she undergo the bariatric procedure, according to court records.

Following the procedure, Ms. Mettias suffered such complications as fluid retention, chronic eating problems and respiratory failure.

The judge ruled that she should have never been offered the surgery. National medical standards say that candidates for gastric bypass should have a BMI of over 40, or over 35 in addition to weight-related diseases. Additionally, Ms. Mettias argued that she didn't consent for the procedure since the hospital didn't tell her all necessary information.

A week after the procedure, Ms. Mettias experienced severe abdominal and chest pain and spent several months in the hospital. She also underwent several surgeries to correct these problems, but doctors say in court documents that she will suffer lifelong issues, including problems eating and persistent vomiting.

In federal court, the judge agreed with Ms. Mettias that the surgery was unnecessary and awarded her $4.25 million. An attorney for Ms. Mettias and a spokesperson for Tripler did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Kendal Gapinski