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Is Shoulder Pain Common After Lap-Band Procedures?

Patients who undergo Lap-Band surgery, the brand name of a medical procedure that promotes weight loss, may experience shoulder pain during their recovery. Laparoscopic procedures such as Lap-Band surgery involve inflating the abdomen with carbon dioxide, so the surgeon can see inside more easily. This inflation may result in shoulder pain. A Lap-Band patient who overeats may also suffer shoulder or chest pain.

  1. Laparoscopy and Lap-Band Surgery

    • Lap-Band surgery falls into a category of procedures known as laparoscopy. According to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, surgeons use laparoscopy to perform abdominal or pelvic operations with minimal incisions. A small cut in the abdominal wall allows the surgeon to insert a laparascope, a lighted tube containing a tiny camera, into the abdomen. The surgeon then can view the procedure remotely while performing the surgery through other small incisions.

      Lap-Band surgery helps obese people lose weight by restricting the usable volume of the stomach. The International Laparoscopic Obesity Surgery Team (ILOST) describes the procedure as the attachment of a small band, attached to an inflatable internal balloon, that makes patients feel full after eating only small amounts of food.

    Shoulder Pain

    • Laparoscopy patients often feel pain in a shoulder during the first day or two of their recuperation. This pain occurs because the carbon dioxide injected into the body cavity presses on the nerves of the diaphragm, and these irritated nerves carry their pain message up into the shoulder area, according to the HCG Resources website. This kind of shoulder pain eases as the carbon dioxide gradually dissipates.

      Another type of shoulder pain associated with Lap-Band patients signals overeating. According to ILOST, a patient who stretches his "new" stomach's capacity may experience shoulder or chest pains, abdominal pressure or queasiness.

    Treatment

    • Endometriosis.org recommends using a pair of heating pads at the same time to relieve gas-related pain in both the front and the back of the shoulder. Over-the-counter pain relievers or digestive aids such as carrot juice, peppermint tea or ginger ale can also ease the pain. A patient experiencing fullness-related shoulder pain must stop eating or risk vomiting.

    Cautions

    • Unexpected symptoms may indicate a complication or other disorder calling for medical attention. If the shoulder pain continues for a long time or gets worse, endometriosis.com recommends contacting a doctor. Bleeding or signs of infection at the incision site also require professional care.

    New Technologies

    • A new procedure called gasless laparoscopy may put an end to the common post-operative symptom of shoulder pain. According to the HCG Resources website, a device called a LaparoLift holds the abdominal cavity open for viewing just as effectively as injected carbon dioxide. This technique can prevent the side effects of carbon dioxide on the nerves in the diaphragm and make the patient's recovery more pleasant.

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