Side Effects of Stomach Banding

Also known as gastric banding surgery, stomach banding is a medical weight loss procedure that involves the insertion of an inflatable band into the abdomen, to encircle the upper stomach. In effect, it alters the patient's digestive anatomy as a means of controlling the amount of food that she can eat and digest. This surgical procedure is intended to provide consistent loss of weight over the long term, when accompanied with behavioral changes.

Effects

• Like almost any surgical procedure, banding surgery may cause certain side effects. These include post-operative bleeding, allergic reactions to the anesthesia or even infection. It is not uncommon for the small section that is created by the band to become inflamed and/or enlarged. The band has even been reported as having slipped off in certain cases. The most common side effects that almost all patients suffer include nausea and vomiting, along with pressure and a slight pain in the abdomen region that results from insertion of the stomach band.

Features

• On the other extreme, one of the more serious side effects that may result from the surgery is called the "dumping syndrome." It refers to a condition in which some food particles pass rapidly through the digestive system. This results in symptoms that include nausea, cold sweats, dizziness, diarrhea and a pounding pulse. In the extreme, these symptoms may also be followed by diarrhea and cramps. This is an uncomfortable, shock-like state that may continue for over an hour.

Considerations

• Given the drastically reduced size of the stomach pouch, eating too fast or overeating will result in vomiting or cause an intense ache under the patient's breast bone. This can easily be avoided by eating small amounts of food, gradually increasing the amounts over the course of the first 6 months following surgery. Unless the surgery is reversed, the patient will no longer be able to eat as much food as before.

Considerations

• One of the most effective ways to minimize or eliminate some of these side effects is to change eating behavior and strictly follow the post-surgery regimen that is recommended. This includes ensuring that protein comprises at least half of each meal, and is eaten first, as well as avoiding of foods containing simple sugars such as candy, sodas, and cookies, and continually sipping water all through the day.

Warning

• It is essential to keep up with the continued monitoring by a specified specialist before, during and following the surgery. This close monitoring is not only for the purposes of maintaining a record of weight loss in order to control the expansion and contraction of the band, but also to track any side effects that may complicate the patient's treatment. Your doctor will be able to make adjustments to negate or at least help relieve some of the side effects. If not monitored closely by a specialist, an insidious side effect in the form of an eating disorder has been found to occur in some rare cases.