Executive Summary
- Dr. Timothy Ryan Heider faces at least six malpractice lawsuits, including wrongful death claims.
- The North Carolina Medical Board issued non-disciplinary letters but has not revoked his license.
- Allegations include surgical errors leading to sepsis and failure to perform necessary leak tests.
- Heider is currently practicing emergency general surgery at Atrium Health Lincoln.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Charlotte-area surgeon remains licensed to practice medicine despite facing a series of wrongful death and malpractice lawsuits alleging surgical errors that led to fatal complications, according to court records and state medical board documents.
Dr. Timothy Ryan Heider, a bariatric surgeon practicing in North Carolina for over 15 years, has been named as a defendant in at least six malpractice lawsuits. These legal actions include allegations regarding the deaths of two patients within days of elective bariatric surgeries, procedures that typically carry a mortality rate of less than 0.1%. Despite settlements and complaints, the North Carolina Medical Board has issued only non-disciplinary "letters of concern" regarding Heider’s conduct, leaving his medical license active.
One lawsuit details the case of Tylor Savage, 26, who died of sepsis in July 2021 following a gastric bypass surgery performed by Heider at Lake Norman Regional Medical Center. According to court filings, Savage suffered a bowel leak that caused a severe infection. The lawsuit alleges Heider left town shortly after the initial surgery, requiring another surgeon to handle the follow-up care as Savage’s condition deteriorated. A review by the state medical board found that while Heider did not violate standards of care regarding the surgery itself, he failed to properly record Savage’s vital signs.
Less than a month after Savage’s death, Lynnette York, 54, died following a revision surgery performed by Heider. A lawsuit filed by York’s husband alleges that Heider failed to perform a leak test during the operation, which could have detected the intestinal leaks that led to fatal septic shock. The suit further claims Heider performed a "mini bypass" instead of the laparoscopic bypass York had consented to. The medical board issued a public letter of concern regarding the incident but took no disciplinary action against his license.
Data cited in the reporting indicates that multiple malpractice settlements are statistically rare. A 2016 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that approximately 1% of physicians nationwide had more than two malpractice payouts. Heider has been the subject of at least four settlements notified to the medical board since 2011.
Public records also indicate personal legal issues. In April 2023, Heider was arrested on felony drug possession charges after police executed a search warrant at his residence. These charges were reportedly dropped and expunged, according to local news reports. The medical board stated that an arrest alone does not constitute grounds for discipline.
Heider ceased performing surgeries at Duke Health Lake Norman (formerly Lake Norman Regional Medical Center) in March 2025. According to a spokesperson for Atrium Health, Heider is currently assigned to emergency general surgery at Atrium Health Lincoln. Heider has not responded to requests for comment regarding the allegations.
It is important to note that all individuals, including Dr. Heider, are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Settlements in civil litigation do not constitute an admission of legal liability.
Regulatory Oversight and Patient Safety
The sequence of events surrounding Dr. Heider’s practice highlights significant challenges in the regulatory framework governing medical licensure in North Carolina. The reliance on non-disciplinary "letters of concern" by the North Carolina Medical Board, rather than formal license suspension or revocation in the face of multiple wrongful death allegations, raises questions about the threshold for regulatory intervention. With state laws keeping much of the investigative process confidential, the balance between protecting physician due process and ensuring public transparency remains a critical issue for patient advocacy groups and legislative oversight committees.
