Many people who suffer from obesity and other health problems it causes want to jump into this procedure, but it needs deep consideration as there may be complications and risks involved with the procedure. Proper planning and consultation with a physician or surgeon must accompany your decision, every step of the way.
Risks may include:
Port Problems – The lap band port has a risk of flipping over or leakage. In such cases, a laparoscopic surgery is done in a clinic or sterile office to reposition the port or replace it.
Lap Band Slippage – A rare scenario that happens in about 2-4% of cases is lapband slippage where the stomach slips through the band. In mild cases, the band is merely deflated to remove the restriction and let the stomach return to proper position. In other cases, patients need a laparoscopic surgery to reposition the stomach.
Lap Band Erosion – This happens when the stomach lining gets irritated, causing the lap band to erode into the stomach. However, there is no clear cause of the occurrence. Some think it is caused by infection while others think it is caused by stomach ulcers. It is generally treated by removing the lap band to let the stomach heal. In other cases, it just involves lap band replacement.
Complications – Certain health complications include ulceration, gastritis, heartburn, constipation, weight gain, and gastro-oesophageal reflux, among others.
Laparoscopy Related Risks – Problems can occur in this surgical procedure, such as bleeding from major vessels, lung problems, blood clot, perforation of the stomach during operation, spleen or liver damage and mortality.
Other complications may include abdominal pain, gas bloat, infection, nausea, vomiting, dehydration, difficulty in swallowing, and stoma outlet obstruction.
While these may be a handful of risks and complications, all medical procedures involve certain risks that patients should be fully aware of before they undergo such procedures. Many people desire to lose weight, regain control of their lives and address health problems brought about by obesity. These reasons may be far more beneficial and are worth the risk.
However, lap band surgery has proved to be statistically the safest and least invasive weight loss procedure, leaving very low probability of risks and complications. Knowing this, you must have your doctor conduct a full assessment of your health to determine if the procedure is safe for you. This way, you can also evaluate the probability of getting complications and plan on how to address them, should they occur.