Gastric Banding Complications

Before deciding to go through with a gastric banding procedure you should be aware of all the risk and potential complications. Like any other surgery, particularly a weight loss surgery there is the possibility of both short and long term complications. Luckily gastric banding has a very low mortality rate, however there are quite a few complications that are specific to this procedure. Many of them are minor complications and in many cases even the worst of the complications can be resolved by simply removing the band itself.

Complications Directly Related to the Band

• Band Erosion - This is where the band itself starts to migrate in to the stomach. This can allow bacteria and infection to occur. Patients could feel pain or discomfort and many times patients will notice that the restrictive effect of the band is no more. Treatment involves the removal of the band.
• Band Rejection - Some peoples bodies simply reject the band itself and having a foreign object permanently placed within the body. Patients who reject the band will experience vomiting and overall pain. Removing the band is the only solution for intolerance.
• Band Leakage - Leakage can be detected when there is a gradual loss in the restrictive effect of the band over time. This means that a patients hunger slowly increases. If there is suspected leakage, your doctor can perform a test to determine if this is actually the case.
• Band Slipping - This is when the band slips and allows a portion of the lower stomach to move above the band. This is usually caused when a patient tries to force down food that is too large. Patients will typically experience nausea and vomiting when slippage occurs. Treatment for band slippage involves surgery to reset the band properly.