▁comes ▁to ▁roughly ▁ ▁the ▁first ▁year ▁for ▁most ▁band ▁patients . ▁It ▁is ▁important ▁to ▁keep ▁in ▁mind ▁that ▁while ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁R N Y ▁patients ▁drop ▁the ▁weight ▁faster ▁in ▁the ▁beginning , ▁some ▁studies ▁have ▁found ▁that ▁LA GB ▁patients ▁will ▁have ▁the ▁same ▁percentage ▁of ▁excess ▁weight ▁loss ▁and ▁compar able ▁ability ▁to ▁keep ▁it ▁off ▁after ▁only ▁a ▁couple ▁of ▁years . ▁The ▁procedure ▁tends ▁to ▁encou rage ▁better ▁e ating ▁hab its ▁which , ▁in ▁turn , ▁helps ▁in ▁producing ▁long ▁term ▁weight ▁stability . ▁However , ▁with ▁greater ▁experience ▁and ▁longer ▁patient ▁follow ▁up , ▁several ▁studies ▁have ▁found ▁sub opt imal ▁weight ▁loss ▁and ▁high ▁comp lication ▁rates ▁for ▁the ▁g astr ic ▁band . ▁ ▁A ▁system atic ▁review ▁concluded ▁" LA GB ▁has ▁been ▁shown ▁to ▁produce ▁a ▁significant ▁loss ▁of ▁excess ▁weight ▁while ▁maintain ing ▁low ▁rates ▁of ▁short - term ▁comp lications ▁and ▁reducing ▁ob es ity - related ▁com orb id ities . ▁LA GB ▁may ▁not ▁result ▁in ▁the ▁most ▁weight ▁loss ▁but ▁it ▁may ▁be ▁an ▁option ▁for ▁b ariat ric ▁patients ▁who ▁prefer ▁or ▁who ▁are ▁better ▁su ited ▁to ▁under go ▁less ▁invas ive ▁and ▁revers ible ▁surg ery ▁with ▁lower ▁peri oper ative ▁comp lication ▁rates . ▁One ▁ca ution ▁with ▁LA GB ▁is ▁the ▁uncertainty ▁about ▁whether ▁the ▁low ▁comp lication ▁rate ▁extends ▁past ▁three ▁years , ▁given ▁a ▁possibility ▁of ▁increased ▁band - related ▁comp lications ▁( e . g ., ▁er