Lap Band Side Effects

Please note, The Schmidt Firm, LLP is no longer accepting Lap Band claims. If you feel that you may have a potential case, we urge you to locate another law firm adequately suited to handle your claim.

A high rate of Lap Band side effects is concerning lawmakers and prompting injured people to seek compensation by filing a Lap Band lawsuit. Lap Band side effects range from minor inconveniences to severe, life-threatening complications that require additional surgery. Every time a person undergoes surgery, there is a risk of death. Recent research suggests that the risk of major complications with Lap Band may be more than 40%.

What You Can Do & How a Lap Band Lawsuit Can Help

The Schmidt Firm, LLP is currently accepting Lap Band injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has suffered a Lap Band complication, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free Lap Band lawsuit consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Medical Device Litigation Group or call us toll-free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

Lap Band Complications

More than 15 million Americans are considered severely obese. In 2009, approximately 220,000 Americans had weight-loss surgery — a six-fold increase from 2000, when just 36,700 underwent the surgery. The FDA has approved the Lap-Band for a very select group of people: adults with morbid obesity, which means a BMI of at least 40 (for example, a woman who is 5’5” and weighs 240 pounds has a BMI of 40). The Lap Band is also approved for people with a BMI of 30, if they also have an obesity-related disease.

Is Lap Band surgery safe or effective?

A study published in the Archives of Surgery followed 82 patients over 12 years after Lap-Band surgery. The study had the following results:

After six years, 48% of patients failed to lose weight and had to have the device removed, most often because the band had begun to erode into their internal organs.
42% had long-term complications, such as an infection or an enlarged stomach pouch
27% required re-operations, often because the band ate through the stomach wall

Though Lap-Bands are marketed as a long-term implant, the high rate of complications and failures leads to a high rate of follow-up surgeries.

Trends in Bariatric Surgeries in California Hospitals

The findings of a recent study titled Trends in Bariatric Surgeries in California Hospitals 2005-2009 looked at weight-loss surgery data from hospitals in the state.

It is important to note that this information excludes a lot of data, because it only looks at Lap Band surgeries inside hospitals. Most Lap Band surgeries are not performed in hospitals, but are instead performed in Lap Band surgical centers. Nearly twice as many Lap Band surgeries are performed outside a hospital as are performed inside a hospital.

The number of Californians undergoing weight-loss surgery in a hospital increased by 6.8%, with an average of 13,614 surgeries performed per year in 94 hospitals.
There was a four-fold increase in the number of Lap Band surgeries between 2005-2009
13% of weight-loss surgery patients had some kind of complication following surgery
6.5% of weight-loss surgery patients were readmitted to the hospital within 30 days, compared with 2.6% for patients undergoing other surgeries
1.5 per 1,000 patients died within 30 days of surgery, with about 40 inpatient deaths between 2005 to 2009
80% of patients were female, with an average age of 44 years. 68.4% were white non-Hispanics.

The researchers concluded that the risk of death was relatively low (1.5 per 1,000 patients), but there was a significant risk of complications and hospital readmission.

Other Studies of Lap Band Complications

Belgian Study: Within 12 years, nearly half of Lap Band patients had their bands removed. The bands were often removed because patients failed to lose weight, they regained weight that they had previous lost, unpleasant heartburn or vomiting, band slippage, or erosion of the band into the stomach.
German Study: Within 14 years, 30% of patients needed additional operations
Australian Study: Within 2 years, one out of three teenage patients needed follow-up surgeries, often because they stretched their stomach

What are Lap Band Complications?

The Lap Band is a medical device used in weight-loss surgery. The device consists of a silicone ring that a surgeon places around the upper part of a patient’s stomach. The ring is attached to a tube, which rests just under a patient’s skin. When the surgeon injects fluid through the tube to the ring, the ring tightens or loosens. When the ring is tightened, it creates a pouch in the upper part of the person’s stomach. The pouch is about the size of a walnut.

There are several types of Lap Band complications that can occur after a person undergoes this surgery. A patient must make dramatic changes to his or her diet, eating habits, and lifestyle. This may be incredibly difficult for morbidly obese people who have already failed to lose weight using other methods. If they do not make changes to their habits, however, they risk seriously damaging their stomach or esophagus.

If a person with a Lap Band over-eats, the food will back up into the esophagus and cause the person to vomit. Over time, vomiting can cause serious damage to the esophagus and stomach. Eating too much food can also stretch the stomach pouch, which is a serious problem and will require an additional surgery to remove the Lap Band.

Band erosion is another serious complication, in which the Lap Band eats into the stomach tissue. If the band is not removed, it can perforate the stomach wall, which will require additional surgeries to fix. Common anti-inflammatory drugs such as Aspirin increase the risk of band erosion.

Death is another serious Lap Band complication. At least 40 people died in hospital Lap Band surgeries between 2005 and 2009. Most Lap Band surgeries are performed outside a hospital, however, where data is lacking. Since 2009, there have been five confirmed death in Southern California surgical centers associated with 1-800-GET-THIN, according to lawsuits, autopsy reports, and other public records.

Do I have a Lap Band Lawsuit?

The Schmidt Firm, LLP is currently accepting injury cases caused by Lap Band complications in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has experienced a side effect after having Lap Band surgery, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Lap Band Lawsuit Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

Attention Lawyers: We consider a referral from another law firm to be one of the greatest compliments. If your firm is interested in referring us a case or for us to send you a list of previous award judgments and/or average referral fees, please visit the Lawyer Referral section of our website.

Free Case Evaluation

The Schmidt Firm, LLP has been recognized as one of the nation's leading plaintiff's law firms and handles cases in all 50 states. We are very proud of our legal achivements, but equally self-respecting of our firms reputation for providing personal attention to each and every client we represent.

No matter what type of case you have, you may contact us with confidence by filling out the email contact form below or calling us directly by dialing toll free 24 hrs/day (866) 920-0753.