Lap Band Surgery - Lap-Band System Complications

As with any surgical procedure, there are known risks. Besides the standard risks of most procedures, including bleeding and infection, there are complications specific to lap-band surgery. Slippage of the band can occur as you lose weight and the stomach goes above the band, causing heartburn or vomiting. This can usually be fixed with a laparoscopic procedure. Rarely, the band may erode into the inside of the stomach.

Laparoscopic surgery is not always possible when placing the gastric band. Your surgeon may need to use an "open" method. This happened in about 5 percent of the cases in the U.S. clinical study. Other problems can occur that are directly related to the lap-band system:

   ·  The band can spontaneously deflate because of leakage. That leakage can come from the band, the reservoir or the tubing that connects them.
   ·   The stomach pouch can enlarge.
   ·  The stoma (stomach outlet) can be blocked.