Gastric Bypass Complications

Gastric bypass is an extremely radical surgical procedure and one that I would not recommend. Instead the modern method of laparoscopic lap banding does the same job with fewer of the potential complications.

Some of the potential complications from Gastric Bypass could include post operative shock because it is a very invasive surgical procedure; staples pulling out if the stomach was stapled or you may have had the gut cut to bypass part of your stomach altogether and rejoined into your intestine. There are several procedures that they could do but none of the above are reversible.

If in later years you became terribly ill and needed to have the capacity to have a 'normal' stomach again, by having a gastric bypass you will never again have a normal stomach capacity. This, to me, represented the most serious potential complication.

The other complications that are increased from gastric bypass surgery because it is such an invasive surgery are lung problems, pneumonia, blood clots and because you are already in a dangerous situation by being so overweight, you increase the risk of all potential complications. Only your Bariatric surgeon can advise you what your personal situation is likely to be. This is why you have to be 'straight-up-honest' with him/her.

That isn't to say that there is absolutely no risk with laparoscopic lap banding either because as with any surgery there is always the potential for complications and a degree of risk.

I was made well aware by my bariatric surgeon and his staff that laparoscopic banding complications could arise during and after surgery. By law, here in Australia anyway, they are obliged to make you aware of any possible downside to the procedure. This was back in 2004 and the law could have changed since then but it is part of your 'due diligence' procedures to find out anyway for your Country.

The surgery where I had my lap banding surgery performed was here and if you want a good website to find out more information from, I would recommend you check them out.

I chose the lap banding procedure over a gastric bypass for several reasons.

1) It is considerably less invasive surgery because it is done by laparoscope surgery.

2) They had an excellent back up team in place

3) Dr Layani was an experienced surgeon.

4) I spoke with a few of his patients and they were all extremely happy with the treatment and the follow up programme.

5) If the worst happened and complications arose the procedure was and still is, reversible.

After having the lap banding done you really need to stay in touch with the back-up team and make sure that you attend every appointment. That way if there were any problems coming up you will be on top of them before they become major ones.

Now its five years on since I had my lap banding done and I've had no complications or problems. I went back to doing "as I was told" and am now back within 5 kilos of the weight that my Dietician originally advised. I feel great and I’ve come to terms with what I can and can't do.

Now I listen more carefully to my body, I eat proper food at regular times, I exercise regularly, and I never allow myself to get hungry because this does cause me a problem.

If I get hungry I tend to eat too fast. This means I don't chew my food as well as I should and I end up with a too-full stomach. This is very uncomfortable and needs to be released. So I end up taking myself off to the nearest bathroom and losing everything. This is not good for me or my diet. That is the only lap banding complication that I've ever had and its one that I cause for myself if I do the wrong thing.