A Central Florida surgeon who has helped morbidly obese patients for years is under fire for alleged mistakes in the operating room, according to an exclusive Problem Solvers report.

Dr. Edward Tenewitz is one of a handful of Central Florida surgeons with a record of performing gastric-bypass surgery -- a risky procedure considered a last resort for the morbidly obese.

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Local 6 News reported that several of his patients wanted to sue because of post operation complications. Two of Tenewitz's patients died because of post-op complications, according to the report.

Glenda Cashiola is one of nine Central Florida patients who have filed a malpractice lawsuit against Tenewitz.

Cashiola weighed nearly 400 pounds when she had the procedure and said an alleged mistake in the operating room nearly killed her.

"If they had not figured what he did wrong and reversed it, I would have died," Cashiola said.

"He (Tenewitz) got it wrong?" Local 6 reporter Mike Holfeld asked.

"Yes, he got it wrong," Cashiola said. "He bypassed almost two thirds of my intestine."

Veteran attorney Sammy Cacciatore represented several patients against Tenewitz.

Cacciatore said he found a pattern of surgical miscues.

"Once he made mistakes in these cases he went back and tried to do the revisions and he had not been trained in the revisions," Cacciatore said.

Cacciatore said during a sworn deposition, Tenewitz was asked if he was self taught.

Tenewitz answered yes, according to the report.

Tenewitz defended his record in an exclusive interview with Local 6 News.

"Once you've been in private practice for 23 years, a number of things change," Tenewitz said. "A number of operations change and you adapt. In order for the patient not to gain their weight back they have to have a complicated operation. To do a complicated operation on somebody whose 400 pounds is fraught with disaster."

Holfeld said Tenewitz is right.

Researchers from Washington University found 1 in 50 gastric bypass patients died three months after the procedure.

Still, Tenewitz settled nine lawsuits but said that came down to his family's future and it was not an admission of guilt.

"Even if I had won eight of these cases and lost one, I would have been financially ruined," Tenewitz said.

Over the past five years, Tenewitz has performed more than 700 gastric-bypass procedures with a remarkable success rate, Holfeld said.

Several patients support Tenewitz and said he spelled out the risks before surgery, according to the report.

Local 6 News reported that the string of lawsuits wiped out Tenewitz's malpractice insurance.

After 26 years in medicine, he is closing his practice.

"Are you telling me you're finished?" Holfeld asked.

"I'm telling you I'm finished," Tenewitz said.

"Does it hurt when you say that?" Holfeld sasked.

"It hurts very much," Tenewitz said.

Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.