RISKS OF LAP BAND SURGERY

Your surgeon will not do the operation unless he knows you understand the advantages, risks and adverse events possible with LAP-BAND® surgery.

All surgical procedures have risks.  When you decide on a procedure, you should know what the risks are.  We encourage you to talk with our surgeon in detail about all the risks and complications that might arise in order to make an informed decision.

There are added risks for patients who are seriously overweight.  Although this happened in only 1% of the patients in the U.S. clinical study, there is the risk of a tear in the stomach wall during or after the procedure which might lead to an additional surgery.  Additional risks/considerations include:  your age; excess weight; certain diseases; certain medications or how your body responds to a foreign object implanted in it.  

Some of the possible adverse events may include: nausea and vomiting; band slippage; stomach outlet blockage; constipation, diarrhea, difficulty swallowing, inflammation of the esophagus; inflammation of the pancreas; infection, flatulence; upset stomach; belching; fatigue; port site pain or wound infection.  Every patient is unique and your surgeon will carefully evaluate you to insure that your risks are minimum and your results are optimum.