Risks of Gastric Banding
While the Gastric Banding Procedure is less invasive than other surgical weight loss procedures, it’s important to note: all surgical procedures have risks. There are risks that come with the medications and the methods used in the surgical procedure and risks that come from how your body responds to any foreign object implanted in it.
It is important to talk with your surgeon in detail about the risks and complications that might arise during the Gastric Banding Procedure.
What are the specific risks and possible complications?
Complications that have been reported after gastric restrictive procedures:
- Ulceration
- Gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining)
- Gastro-oesophageal reflux (regurgitation)
- Heartburn
- Gas bloat
- Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing)
- Dehydration
- Constipation
- Weight regain
Laparoscopic surgery has its own set of possible problems. They include:
- Spleen or liver damage (sometimes requiring spleen removal)
- Bleeding from major blood vessels
- Lung problems
- Thrombosis (blood clots)
- Rupture of the wound
- Perforation of the stomach during surgery
- Mortality
There are also problems that can occur that are directly related to the gastric band itself:
- Band slippage
- Pouch dilatation
- Nausea and/or vomiting
- Stoma outlet obstruction
- Band erosion into the stomach tissue
- Infection
- Deflation of the band
- Abdominal pain
- Oesophageal distension or dilatation
Rapid weight loss may result in symptoms of malnutrition, anaemia or related complications and development of gallstones.
Contraindications
The Gastric Banding Procedure is not right for you if:
- You have an inflammatory disease or condition of the gastrointestinal tract, such as ulcers, severe oesophagitis, or Crohns disease.
- You have severe heart or lung disease that makes you a poor candidate for any surgery.
- You have some other disease that makes you a poor candidate for any surgery.
- You have a problem that could cause bleeding in the oesophagus or stomach.
- You have portal hypertension.
- Your oesophagus, stomach, or intestine is not normal (congenital or acquired). For instance, you might have a narrowed opening.
- You have/experienced an intra-operative gastric injury, such as a gastric perforation at or near the location of the intended band placement.
- You have cirrhosis.
- You have chronic pancreatitis.
- You are pregnant. (If you become pregnant after the gastric band has been placed, the band may need to be deflated. The same is true if you need more nutrition for any other reason, such as becoming seriously ill. In rare cases, removal may be needed.)
- You are addicted to alcohol or drugs.
- You are under 14 years of age (adolescent patients 14 to 17 years of age must be post-pubescent).
- You have an infection anywhere in your body or one that could contaminate the surgical area.
- You are on chronic, long-term steroid treatment.
- You cannot or do not want to follow the dietary rules that come with this procedure.
- You might be allergic to materials in the device.
- You cannot tolerate pain from an implanted device.
- You or someone in your family has an autoimmune connective tissue disease. That might be a disease such as systemic lupus erythematosus or scleroderma.
