Asymptomatic Gastric Band Erosion Detected during Routine Gastroduodenoscopy

Clin Endosc. 2016 May;49(3):294-7. doi: 10.5946/ce.2016.001. Epub 2016 Feb 11.

Abstract

The incidence of gastric band erosion has decreased to 1%. Gastric band erosion can manifest with various clinical symptoms, although some patients remain asymptomatic. We present a case of a mostly asymptomatic patient who was diagnosed with gastric band erosion during a routine health check-up. A 32-year-old man without any underlying diseases except for non-alcoholic fatty liver underwent laparoscopic adjustable gastric band surgery in 2010. He had no significant complications postoperatively. He underwent routine health check-ups with near-normal gastroduodenoscopic findings through 2014. However, in 2015, routine gastroduodenoscopy showed that the gastric band had eroded into the stomach. His gastric band was removed laparoscopically, and the remaining gastric ulcer perforation was repaired using an omental patch. Due to the early diagnosis, the infection was not serious. The patient was discharged on postoperative day 3 with oral antibiotics. This patient was fortunately diagnosed early by virtue of a routine health check-up; thus, eliminating the possibility of serious complications.

Keywords: Band erosion; Bariatric surgery; Laparoscopic gastric band; Obesity, morbid.