Nehasworld – Health Center

Lap band surgery is a popular form of bariatric surgery that many obese people choose to get rid of those extra pounds. Before you have this surgery done, you should sit down with your surgeon and discuss all the risks that are associated with the actual surgery, the band, and long-term complications that may occur. Any complication which may occur during surgery usually happens to people who have any serious medical conditions and have a high level of being obese. In addition, the risk of complications increases with age.

When you speak of risks that are related to surgery some of them could include a tearing of the stomach or blood clots forming. There are some people who have a serious reaction to anesthesia, which could cause death. There is also the chance of esophageal or stomach perforation. Sometimes there is a chance of getting an infection at the surgical site. There have been some cases where major blood vessels were damaged during the surgery.

One of the risks that can be related to the band is your body having a bad reaction to it and feels it is a foreign object. The band is supposed to biocompatible, but this risk can happen. You may also have heartburn, stomach pain, nausea, diarrhea or constipation, bloating, and others. Usually these will disappear over time. If there is a sudden increase in the size of the opening that is between the stomach and pouch it may cause the ring to deflate quickly and suddenly. If the band starts to slip it could case the pouch to enlarge.

Another risk is that the lapband could erode to the tissues of the stomach and cause a perforation. The band could also cause the tissues around the silicon ring to swell and may also cause gastritis and ulcers.

Now that you know some of the risks that may happen during the surgical procedure and with the band it time to talk about possible long-term risks. The lap band surgery is done to help obese people lose weight by helping reduce the amount of food they eat, but by doing this it could lead to conditions caused by vitamin deficiencies such as hair loss or even malnutrition. If you are having difficulty with the silicon ring that is used during the lap band surgery it is possible you may have to have another operation. As you can see, there are risks that you and your surgeon need to discuss before you decide to have the lap band surgery.