Late Complications of Lap-Band Surgery

The Lap-Band is a brand of gastric band utilized during bariatric surgery to help obese individuals lose weight. It has been used with greater frequency by bariatric surgeons over the past decade due to its decreased risk compared to other forms of bariatric surgery, such as gastric bypass. However, the Lap-Band system has its own set of complications, many of which do not manifest until long after the procedure has been completed.

Function

• The Lap-Band itself is a small silicone ring filled with saline solution. During the Lap-Band procedure, the ring is inserted using laparoscopic surgical techniques into a patient and wrapped around the upper portion of the stomach and then cinched tight. The result is the creation of a smaller stomach--about the size of the hard-boiled egg. The Lap-Band is attached to a thin port on the surface of the skin so that over time, the patient's doctor can increase or decrease the tightness of the band as necessary by injecting or removing some of the saline solution in the band.

Considerations

• The Lap-Band differs from gastric bypass surgery because it shrinks the size of the stomach and does not remove any portion of the digestive tract. Gastric bypass surgery removes a large part of the stomach and intestines. However, gastric bypass surgery is fraught with complications and a mortality rate of 1 out of every 300 surgeries. The Lap-Band system does not remove any portion of the stomach, but restricts it so that the smaller upper portion becomes fuller faster, and food drops into the lower portion of the stomach to begin digestion. Also, in clinical trials there have been no reported deaths associated with the Lap-Band system.

Initial Complications

• However, while the Lap-Band does carry significantly decreased risks compared to gastric bypass, it is not complication free and has a host of its own risks that should be evaluated before undergoing the procedure. The initial risks for the Lap- Band are mainly related to the laparoscopic procedure, and can include damage to blood vessels, blood clots, wound rupturing, poor wound healing, or the puncturing of the esophagus or stomach. However, these risks are rare.

Health Related Complications

• The most notable complications of the Lap-Band surgery can occur later, several weeks, months or even years after the procedure has been completed. Some of these complications are results of the Lap-Band's very nature, such as heartburn, frequent flatulence or abdominal bloating, irritated stomach tissue, or the formation of stomach ulcers. Other late complications include constipation, dehydration over time, and possible weight regain.

Malfunction Related Complications

• Another form of late complications for the Lap-Band surgery relate directly to band malfunctions. Reported malfunctions include the band slipping around the stomach, the enlargement of the upper stomach, the obstruction of the saline port or tube in the abdomen, or a break in the silicone ring causing it to deflate and saline solution to spill into the abdominal cavity. These complications may result in the need to remove the band completely.