The procedure of a lap band surgery is intended to accelerate the weight loss for morbidly obese people. The procedure is simply the placement of a flexible band around the top portion of the patient’s stomach. This allows the person to eat just as much as the band allows. This way the person is prevented from over eating and thus promotes weight loss.
The surgery, however, requires a number of changes in the patient’s diet as well as in their lifestyle so as to adjust them as per the size of their stomach, which is much smaller in size after the surgery. The procedure is generally considered to be safe, however, there are certain side effects that everyone must keep in mind before making a decision of undergoing the Lap-Band Surgery.
After Surgery
The lap band surgery brings pain and discomfort immediately after surgery, which is a part of the normal recovery process. However, there are several other risks, complications and side effects that arise after the surgery, such as:
- Leakage of band
- Acid Reflux
- Vomiting
- Swallowing difficulties
- Dehydration
- Stomach outlet blockages
- Gas
- Bloating
- Constipation
- Ulcer
- Infection through Surgery
Long Term
Patients often forget that the lap band is something permanent. Once fitted into their body, the lap band can never be removed, unless the person does not want to lose weight anymore. For the rest of their lives, the lap band will have an impact on how a person can eat, how much they can eat, what they can eat and when they can eat.
The lap band is required to be changed and replaced every few years and since the doctors are still not aware of all of the long term consequences of the surgery, a person should be ready to experience unknown or unexplored side effects of the procedure.
Patients, for the rest of their lives, are not able to eat certain types of foods. Even if they do, they’ll have problems in digesting it and will get sick. Patients
are also required to chew everything they eat for a much longer time than they’ll be used to. Junk food is completely off limit for the patients and foods that are high in fat and sugar are not allowed as well.
Hair Loss
Every person who undergoes a gastric bypass surgery experiences hair thinning and hair loss. This can also occur in the case of lap band surgery during the first 6 months after the procedure. Moreover, the weight loss from the surgery also causes a protein deficiency which also leads to hair loss.
Heart Burn
Heart burn is a daily pain for those who undergo the lap band surgery. Too many people live in agony with a lap band due to the frequent heart burn problem which increases for some when they drink water.
Cancer
Those who undergo the lap band surgery often complain of acid reflux. Prolonged acid reflex is highly dangerous and can lead to cancer. Therefore, this element of risk cannot be eliminated.
Burping
Another disadvantage or side effect of the surgery is that the patients complain a lot about burping. The surgery causes them to burp quite often and uncomfortably, especially if they eat a bit more than the stomach can handle.
Coughing
If a patient feels full for several hours after having a little food and loses approximately one to two pounds a week, this means that their lap band surgery is working great. However, if the patient complains about heart burn, acid reflux and coughing, this means that the lap band needs fluid removed because it is too tight. Therefore, this adds to the list of lap band side effects.
Forums
There are several forums where people gather and discuss the lap band surgery in detail. Those who have undergone with surgery talk about the experiences and the effectiveness along with the side effects and the problems they face. Some who are willing or reluctant to undergo the surgery share their concerns.
