| Is Gastric Banding Safe?
This is the age of the waistline – more and more weight loss options are being offered to overweight and obese folks every year. The most common go-to solution for weight loss is gastric banding. The procedure itself lasts only about thirty minutes, but preparation can take weeks, so can the recovery and adjustment period. This minimally invasive procedure involves the placement of a silicone band around the upper portion of the stomach to create a pouch that restricts food-holding capability. It is not as hazardous and invasive as traditional surgeries on the digestive system, but it’s worth knowing the risks and actual complications of such a procedure:
Less than 8% of all patients who undergo gastric banding for weight loss purposes actually experience some complications within the first month postoperatively, but nearly fifty percent experience some difficulties in the long-term use of the silicone bands.
The silicone band may slip or disintegrate over time, therefore requiring surgery to remedy to problem. Over a long period of silicone implant around the stomach, esophagus dilation may occur, causing the patient to have difficulty in swallowing. Infections could also occur, specifically around the port of the band, because this area is prone to manipulation. Doctors handle this port to make adjustments on the tightness of the band. Although rare, saline may leak from the silicone implant.
According to Swiss researchers, a third of adults who had the surgery experienced implant failure after having it in place for 10 years. Another study from Austria discovered that less than fifty four percent of patients who have had gastric banding still had the same band in ten years.
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