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Gastric band surgery can help a person get rid of 40 to 50 percent of excess weight without cutting or rerouting the intestines. By reducing the size of the stomach pouch, you can minimize your overall food and beverage intake, which can help you lose weight over time.
This sort of weight reduction surgery is appropriate for persons who do not want to spend a lengthy time in the hospital or recovering. Most gastric band surgery patients spend no more than 24 hours in the hospital. This surgery is also reversible, so there will be no permanent alterations to the structure or function of the digestive tract. As a result, gastric band surgery has the lowest risk of vitamin and mineral deficiencies among all weight-loss operations.
If you believe the band is not generating the desired outcomes, your surgeon can make changes to the band using simple saline injections in your port. Your doctor can do these changes on an outpatient basis, requiring no downtime afterwards.
The Disadvantages of Gastric Band Surgery
However, this reversible weight loss surgical procedure has a lower early weight reduction rate, requires a foreign body to be present in the body, and has the highest rate of reoperation. Complications in gastric band patients include band erosion, which can lead to long-term port infection in most cases.
Food can also become caught in the esophagus as a result of the gastric band's restriction, which can lead to esophageal dilatation in the long run. The esophagus is a muscular tube that links the neck and stomach. When the esophagus enlarges, which normally occurs 5 to 7 years following lap band implantation, it loses its ability to drive food down into the stomach. This can cause difficulties swallowing, vomiting, and acid reflux. Overeating may raise the risk of esophageal dilatation.
Another common complication of gastric band surgery is gastric band slippage, which can lead to serious complications if left untreated. Band slippage doesn’t happen often but the risk still exists.
Gastric Band Slippage
When the gastric band slips out of place, usually downhill onto the stomach, it can cause major issues such as stomach herniation. According to research, between 4-13 percent of gastric band surgery patients have slippage.
Gastric band slippage can be caused by overeating, vomiting, drinking or eating too quickly or consuming carbonated beverages, or a surgical method that places the gastric band too low on the stomach following surgery. Gastric band slippage requires fluid removal from the band, band repositioning, or even band removal to treat associated symptoms.
If left unchecked, gastric band slippage might result in severe symptoms. Repositioning the gastric band may help lessen the slip risk, but most people experience a recurrence that necessitates the removal of the gastric band.
Signs That Your Gastric Band May Have Slipped
If you're unsure whether you may have a gastric band slippage, consider the following symptoms:
- Severe pain;
- Nausea;
- Vomiting;
- Acid reflux;
- Chest discomfort;
- Abdominal pain;
- Food intolerance;
- Dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing;
- Early satiety.
If gastric band slippage is not corrected, serious consequences such as stomach perforation, ischemia, necrosis, and prolapse occur. That is why, as soon as you notice symptoms, you should seek medical attention to rule out any potential consequences.
What to Do If Your Lap Band Slips
If you encounter any of the symptoms listed above, please contact your surgical team immediately. If they are unavailable when such symptoms arise, go to the nearest emergency room for treatment. To diagnose lap-band slippage and determine a therapy, imaging tests such as anterior-posterior abdominal radiographs and an upper GI series will be required.
