Lap band surgery is a popular weight-loss procedure. The procedure involves placing a band around the stomach, making the stomach physically smaller. This is done with the aim of helping you to eat less. The band can be adjusted periodically depending on your response to the procedure. If your weight loss is not fast enough, your surgeon can tighten the band. If you lose weight too fast, the band can be loosened. However, as with any type of procedure, there are always risks. Before deciding on lap band surgery you should know what these risks are.
Stomach Enlargement and Band Slippage
Because the lap band procedure does not involve cutting or stapling as in other forms of weight loss surgery, complications are usually not as severe, according to the University of California, San Diego Medical Center. The medical center states that the most common complication is an enlargement of the portion of the stomach that is located above the band. Since the goal was to create a smaller stomach area, this enlargement will hinder your weight-loss efforts. After surgery, your stomach may stretch, the band can slip or in some cases the band can erode into the stomach. In addition, the adjustable portion of the band is balloon-like, and it can rupture or leak. If necessary, the band can be permanently removed.
Other Complications
After lap band surgery you may experience symptoms such as gas, bloating, acid reflux, heartburn, vomiting, nausea, dehydration, constipation and difficulty swallowing. In some cases, due to complications, there is no weight loss. Additional complications include ulceration of the stomach and gastritis. Changes to your diet or adjustments to the band may help to alleviate these symptoms.
Surgical Complications
Allergan Inc. says that some complications are associated with the surgical procedure. This includes spleen, stomach, esophagus or liver damage. In severe cases, you may need to have your spleen removed. There can also be damage to blood vessels, blood clots and wound rupture.
Severe Complications
Any portion of the lap band device can become infected. Additional problems include the stoma (stomach outlet) becoming blocked, and your esophagus stretching. The good news is that, according to the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery the procedure is very safe, with a low rate of life-threatening complications and a mortality rate of only 0.1 percent.
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