Gastric band surgery risks
When you are considering gastric banding for weight loss, you should realize that although it is a widely prescribed solution for obesity, it is still a surgical procedure and therefore carries risks.
I’m not saying this to scare you, but to make you aware. As the main risks of this procedure go, they are significantly less than other weight loss surgeries.
common risks
Some of the common risks involve disruption of the isolated stomach pouch above the band. In some cases, this pouch can become enlarged due to stretching of the stomach or slippage of the gastric band.
Other possible risks and complications include:
- band leak
- reflux or vomiting
- Band erosion on the stomach
- Difficulty to swallow
- Enlarged stomach pouch or band slippage
- Dehydration
- no weight loss
- Obstruction of the outlet of the stomach
- gas bloating
- Nausea
- Constipation
- ulceration
- weight recovery
- Gastritis
- In extremely rare cases, death
Before we worry too much about some of these risks, we need to temper them with some of the risks you already take because you’re overweight, and that comes with its own set of complications.
More people than ever before are obese, and the trend shows no sign of abating. Statistics from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) indicate that obesity has increased by 60% in the last decade.
Risks of NOT losing weight
If you weigh twice or 100 pounds more than your ideal weight or have a body mass index of 40 or more, you are morbidly obese and are at risk for:
- Diabetes
- race
- Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure.
- Joint problems from carrying extra weight
- Sleep apnea from extra tissue in the throat region.
- Cancer
- coronary artery disease
- Respiratory problems
Obviously, these are real risks you face today. Although this procedure has risks, doing nothing for your weight also has risks. You should talk to your doctor to see if gastric banding or some other weight loss surgery is worth it for you.
Diabetes is one of the worst diseases one can suffer from and is very common among the obese. If you have a high BMI, you are a perfect target for this terrible disease.
One of the main advantages of the gastric band is that it can be removed or replaced if complications arise. Other weight loss surgeries are not reversible. You cannot go back and have them add what was cut during a gastric bypass or gastric sleeve procedure.