While lap band surgery for weight loss in morbidly obese patients is very safe overall, complications can occur. The complication rate is about five percent, according to a study reported by Emma Patterson, M.D., director of Oregon Weight Loss Surgery. Although lap banding is less invasive than gastric bypass, it still requires incisions into the abdominal cavity and general anesthesia during the operation. The band itself also causes complications in some cases.
Surgical Complications
Infection at the incision site or around the port, bleeding and incisional hernia can occur after lap band surgery. Complications from general anesthesia, though rare, can also complicate lap band surgery.
Band Complications
Many problems can arise from band placement or from slippage of the band after surgery. These include perforation of the intestines or stomach, erosion of the stomach due to pressure from the band, difficulty swallowing or inflammation, dilation or erosion of the esophagus, according to the American Society of Bariatric Surgeons (ASBS). The band can also leak, which causes it to deflate, so that the stomach size is no longer reduced, and no weight is lost.
If the band migrates from its original location, it needs surgery for removal. This occurred in three percent of patients in a study conducted at the Municipal Teaching Hospital at Jena, Germany and reported in the "International Journal of Colorectal Disease," September 2008. This was a late complication, occurring more than 10 months after surgery.
Weight Complications
Although most patients lose around 50 percent of their body weight by the five-year mark, some studies report lower weight loss from lap band surgery than from traditional gastric bypass surgery. Some people don't lose any weight at all, or very little, after lap band placement. Over time, the stomach pouch can be enlarged if patients eat too much, which will result in decreased or no weight loss. If too much weight is lost, malnutrition can lead to hair loss, anemia and fatigue.
Other Complications
Nausea, vomiting, bloating, gas and diarrhea can all be complications of lap band surgery, according to the University of California San Diego Medical Center. These symptoms are more likely if dietary restrictions aren't followed. Heartburn can occur if the band slips down as weight is loss and the stomach goes above the band.
The ASBS reported that fewer patients with diabetes had remission of their disease with lap band surgery compared to gastric bypass, 80 percent at two years for lap band surgery compared to 93 percent at nine years for gastric bypass. Long term complications from the silicone lap band being left in the body aren't yet known; rupture of the saline bag and leakage of saline into the abdominal cavity could result in infection. Rarely, lap band surgery needs to be redone.
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