Cost of Lap Band Surgery

Belgium [a leading advanced laparoscopic obesity center in Europe]
Costa Rica [USA Joint Commission International Accredited Hospital]
India [Harvard Medical Affiliated & USA Joint Commission Accredited Hospital]
Mexico [World Class Hospitals]
USA $ 10, 400 [ASMBS Center of Excellence Hospital & Surgeon]

The cost of lap band surgery in the United States ranges from 10,800 to 25,000 US Dollars. Our network of hospitals offers a significantly lower cost for a lap band surgery. You can request for a detailed estimate using the estimate request form on this page.

(Image from fda.gov)

Laparoscopic gastric banding, also known as (lap band surgery), is a minimal invasive weight loss surgery. An adjustable band is placed around the stomach to restrict the food intake & this helps patient feel full sooner.

The band is a hollow ring filled with saline that can be adjusted by adding more or less saline to create a smaller or larger opening. The surgical procedure, entails, no cutting or stapling of the stomach and there is no intestinal rerouting. [Link to video on How does Gastric Lap Band work?]

The operation is completed in a relatively short period of time (approximately 1 hour) and with minimal blood loss. The illustration below shows FDA approved Lap Band System.

Anesthesia & Blood Transfusion for Lap band

The surgery is conducted under general Anesthesia.. Patients rarely require a blood transfusion after Lap-Band surgery. Following the surgery, patients are monitored in a recovery room for approximately 3 to 6 hours before being discharged from the hospital. Recovery times vary from individual to individual.

Hospital Stay & Post Lap Band Care

Lap band surgery involves a hospital Stay of about 1 to 2 days [occasionally, the surgery is performed as an outpatient procedure]. Mobility of the patient is encouraged soon after the surgery. The patient is advised liquid diet for a few weeks.gradually, he is asked to embark on to soft foods, and later solid foods.

Following the surgery, patients will be prescribed analgesics to alleviate the pain. Most individuals experience only mild discomfort, which is relieved by the pain killer. The patient can resume light work in about 3 weeks. Most patients experience some amount of fatigue and weakness for 3-5 days, but are able to return to normal functions in about 5-7 days.

The patient will also notice significant changes in their eating habits. They will feel full or satisfied after consuming a much smaller portion of food, than they did prior to the surgery. Over-eating is dissuaded, as overeating can trigger pain and/or nausea. In addition, doctors recommend that patients eat slowly and chew their food carefully.

A few restrictions are placed on the patient’s diet and physical activities. Avoiding certain types of foods like dried fruits, asparagus, pineapple, rhubarb, corn, nuts and seeds, is advocated. Furthermore, walking is great exercise to start out with, following the surgery. After 6 weeks, the patient is allowed strenuous exercises like – aerobics, bicycling, running, and strength conditioning.

Benefits of lap band surgery

Patients who have undergone lap band surgery have lost about 50% of their excess weight within the first year. In addition, associated medical problems, such as diabetes, arthropathy, sleep apnea, or high blood pressure, have improved or disappeared completely after the lap band surgery.

Some of the other benefits of lap band surgery are:

• The surgery is done without a large incision.
• Reduces the risk of infection as it does not require any opening in the gastrointestinal tract.
• Adjustable and can be customized to suit individual needs.
• No additional surgery is required to optimize weight loss
• It is fully reversible. The band can be emptied or it can be removed, for example, during pregnancy or prolonged illness allowing the stomach to return to former state.
• The person can fully digest vitamins and minerals
• It is widely used around the world and accepted well by most persons of all ages and physical conditions.
• The procedure entails a short hospital stay

Cost of Lap Band in the USA versus Abroad

Given the complexity of the surgery as well as the immense benefits that the surgery offers, it is not surprising that the cost to have a lap band surgery performed, is slightly steep. In the U.S. a lap band surgery will cost anywhere between $13,000 and $30,000.

Low cost lap band surgeries have been performed outside the United States, at a number of medical tourism destinations. In fact, while lap band surgery started in USA in 2001 after FDA approval, it has been successfully performed worldwide since 1996. There are many reputable facilities and skilled surgeons performing lap band surgery outside USA, in India, Mexico, Spain, Belgium and Costa Rica.

Mexico is a viable option for U.S patients due to the proximity in geographical terms. Also, lap band surgery in Mexico is significantly lower with respect to cost when compared to USA. The cost for the same surgery in Mexico is about $5,250. Even after considering travel and lodging expenses, a 50% to 60% cost savings is seen.

India, on the other hand, is geographically furthe away but in terms of cost, it is more or less similar to Mexico. The added attraction about India is a larger English-speaking pool of U.S. and U.K. educated surgeons and state of the art equipment, that is used in the hospitals wha’s more, India is a popular oriental destination, that draws a large number of tourist.

Cost of Lap Band Surgery Versus Gastric Bypass

Lap band surgery is not the only procedure that is used for managing obesity.Gastric bypass surgery is also conducted to achieve similar results. However, there is considerable difference between the two procedures, their benefits, and hence, the costs.

While a lap band surgery in the U.S. will cost anywhere between $10,800 and $30,000, gastric bypass surgery starts from $28,000. With zero complications, the most common form of weight loss surgery laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery can cost from $25,000 to $35,000, or more. In many cases, the patients end up paying between $50,000 and $80,000.

Gastric Bypass is both a restrictive and mal-absorptive procedure that has been performed worldwide for over 35 years. The costs associated with gastric bypass surgery are higher because it is a full surgical procedure, requiring a surgical team, including a qualified bariatric surgeon, surgical assistants, an anesthetist and a multi-disciplinary team with a psychologist, nutritionist and other specialists. In addition, hospitalization is required for at least 2 to 3 days followed by a 2 to 4 week recovery period.

Lap band surgery, on the other hand, is performed under general anesthesia and lasts only between 30 minutes to an hour. It does not demand a team of a host of specialized surgeons and specialists, but a small general team with a skilled surgeon doing the surgery. The hospital stay is very short (does not exceed 48 hours), as compared to the gastric bypass surgery. Hence lap band surgery costs much lesser than a gastric bypass.

Personal Price of Obesity

Obese people are at a great disadvantage, says the Los Angeles Times. A study reported by the paper illustrated how obese people spend much more than a person having an ideal weight, while receiving much lesser.

There are several reasons that cause the expenses of an obese individual to shoot above average.

Medical expenses for obese are higher than, normal-weight individuals. Further more, the expenses are not reimbursed. The obese are likely to have lower incomes, due to a reduced probability of holding managerial level jobs, a large number of missed days from work, and a reduced likelihood of holding a college degree.

Like themselves, the obese are likely to have spouses with lower incomes that is, if they are married at all, this is less likely than for those of normal weight. Obesity demands extra-sturdy furniture and diet services and weight loss systems, all of which can be very expensive. Taking a conservative estimate, obese people will have the following expenses. Their drugs and other medical procedures will cost them about $7500 per year. Add in $2500 for out-of-pocket healthcare expenses and about $1000 for employment inactivity costs. Commercial weight-loss program fees will cost $800 and all those extra groceries and dining could demand about $6500 annually.

That’s approximately $18,300 additional expenses just because of obesity! And this is an annual figure and surely subject to increases due to inflation with each passing year. A lap band surgery in countries like India, Mexico and Costa Rica would cost HALF of that amount! Having a weight loss surgery is a life-changing decision and it has been successful in bringing about a refreshing change in many people’s personal and social life. Low cost lap band surgery is available overseas for people who find the lap band surgery cost in the United States beyond their financial means.

Low Cost Lap Band Packages & Specials

We, at Medical Tourism Corporation will be glad to facilitate your needs in relation to low cost lap band surgery overseas. Major international destinations for the gastric band are Mexico, Costa Rica, India & Belgium.

Medical Tourism Corporation does much more than facilitate a low cost lap band surgery for you. We help you make an informed choice about your lap band surgery. We provide you with overseas doctors’ credentials so that you can look at the surgeon’s qualifications, surgical experience, and proctoring experience. We make sure that the medical devices and implants used in the hospitals are the same as approved for use, in the USA.

In essence, Medical Tourism Corporation works to get you a cost effective lap band surgery. The hospital and physicians we deal with have performed hundreds of successful lap bands over the years.

Our low cost lap band packages include:

• All medical expenses (surgeon’s fee, hospital fees, anesthesiologist, medicines etc.)
• Courtesy ride from airport/hotel/hospital & back.
• Free follow-up care at the hospital.
• Fluoroscope machine usage is charged by the hospitals.
• Easy financing with low monthly payment options is available
• Credit Cards are accepted
• Free destination tourist information
• Assistance in finding lap band after care
• Package DOES NOT include air fare. But free assistance in finding cheap airlines & travel arrangements.
• Pre-Op testing & dietary counseling sessions by the doctors is included.

Lap Band Surgeons

• Rodolfo Natera (Mexico)
• Ramen Goel (India)
• Jacobo Zafrani (Costa Rica)
• Carlos Francisco Quesada (Costa Rica)

Lap Band & Weight Surgery Cost Resources

• Medical Tourism Corporation has a leading medical loan processing company as an affiliate to provide secured & unsecured loans. Read More About Lap Band Surgery Loan
• Lap band surgery is not the only procedure that is used for reducing obesity. Gastric bypass surgery is also used to achieve similar results.Cost of Gastric Bypass Surgery
• The Gastric sleeve surgery is performed on morbidly obese or high risk patients. Gastric Sleeve Surgery Cost
• Links to bariatric surgery web pages
• Information specific to gastric lap band surgery in Mexico

Medical Tourism Corporation facilitates low cost lap band surgery abroad at many international locations including Mexico, India, Belgium, USA & Costa Rica. Fill out the free estimate request form for a free quote & more information.