Lap band surgery carries many risks, including death.
Lap band surgery can be lifesaving for many morbidly obese patients, but it is major surgery and does carry a number of risks. Patients should carefully consider the risks and benefits of lap band surgery before deciding to have the surgery.
Causes of Death From Lap Band Surgery
Lap band surgery entails all the risks that are associated with any major surgery, including infection, blood clots, respiratory failure, heart failure and kidney failure. All of these complications can be fatal.
Mortality Rate
The mortality rate for lap band surgery patients varies depending on whom you ask. According to New Jersey Bariatrics, a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence, the mortality rate is 0.2 percent. According to Norwood Hospital in Norwood, Massachusetts, though, the mortality rate is only 0.05 percent.
Other Weight Loss Surgeries
Lap band surgery is safer than other forms of weight loss surgery. Gastric bypass surgery carries a mortality rate of 0.4 percent while vertical sleeve gastrectomy carries a mortality rate of 0.39 percent, according to WeightLossSurgery.ca.
Reducing Risk
Patients with higher body mass indexes face higher risks than those with lower BMIs. Losing weight prior to surgery reduces the risk of death from lap band surgery. Having a more experienced surgeon also reduces the risk.
Obesity and Life Span
When deciding whether or not to risk lap band surgery, patients should consider the risks of remaining obese. In March 2009, Science Daily reported that people with BMIs of 40 or above live on average 10 years less than those that are not so overweight. Obesity increases the risk of dying from heart disease, stroke and some forms of cancer.
