So, how much does surgery cost?

The price of surgery is complex because you need to include not merely the price of the surgery itself but the associated costs which will vary widely according to where your surgery is carried out and by whom. Costs must include such things as pre-surgical tests, fees for your surgeon and hospital charges. Additionally, there will be various post-surgery charges for services like follow-up medical visits, psychological support and nutritional counseling.

Where surgery is done in the US then you could expect to pay anywhere between $17,000 and $30,000 for your surgery and post-operative care providing you do not encounter any complications. While significant complications are uncommon they do arise every now and again and the cost can then rise considerably.

Where surgery is done outside of the US then the price will be lower and you could expect to pay between $11,000 and $16,000. Lap band procedures have been carried out for some considerably time in both Europe and Australia where the results have been excellent and is now being carried out increasingly in countries like Brazil, India, Mexico, Canada and the Far East.

If you are thinking about going overseas for surgery then you must factor in the cost of travel and post-operative care which can add considerably to the overall cost but still be cheaper than undergoing surgery at home. You also need to check with your health insurance company if applicable because it is very unlikely that your insurer will fund the cost of surgery which is done overseas. Lastly, you must take into consideration the fact that you may well have considerably less legal protection should anything go wrong with surgery outside of your home country.

In most cases having your surgery in your home country will probably be your best and safest choice but if the difference in price is large enough in your particular case then you may well feel that it is worth the risk.

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Choose From This List Of Books About Lap Band Surgery

The cost of having lap band weight loss surgery will depend upon a whole host of factors but the first thing you need to do is determine whether or not you qualify as a candidate for surgery. Deciding that you need or want lap band surgery is one thing but when it comes to paying for surgery whether or not you meet the criteria of the National Institutes of Health is an important factor.

You will have to examine whether or not your health insurance policy will pay for some or all of the cost of your surgery. It is frequently said that insurance companies will not pay for weight loss surgery but this is not the case and health insurers are increasingly funding either all or some of the bill for lap band surgery. Your insurance company will however only meet the cost if you meet the National Institutes of Health requirements and your doctor certifies that your surgery is a medical necessity.

In most cases, if you have a body mass index of 40 or more then you will meet the requirements of the NHI. You may also qualify if your BMI falls between 35 and 39 providing you also have a serious medical problem which is directly associated with your weight. The list of related medical conditions is long but includes things like hypertension, diabetes or high cholesterol.

If you fail to meet the requirements of the NHI then you will have to meet the full cost of surgery yourself.

After massive weight loss, almost all patients face multiple problem areas which can require multiple surgeries. The most common post-weight loss body contouring surgery is a tummy tuck or abdominoplasty. These are not standard tummy tucks, but rather extensive or "High Tension" tummy tucks designed to also lift the sagging hips and thighs; while tightening the loose abdominal wall muscles.

A more extensive form of this tummy tuck is called a body lift or belt lipectomy which removes the excess skin of the abdominal fold, as well as that from the back, resulting in a greater lift of the sagging buttocks and the thighs. Panniculectomy is a more specific form of a tummy tuck selected for those with an extremely large, heavy, and hanging abdominal pannus.

You May also need to consider a thigh lift addressing the excess skin folds of the inner or outer thighs. And in rare cases, you will also need a facelift.

Therefore, when you are calculating the expenses of the Lap Band surgery, You need to take these follow-up surgeries into consideration as well.

I found this book to be very easy to read as well as very informative. He managed to keep the medical and surgical details at a level that the lay person could understand, while being very detailed.

This book covers the surgery procedure from pre-op doctor's visits, working with your insurance company and suggestions for self-pay, all the way through the surgery itself, how to eat for the next month, and the post surgery lifestyle. Details include the surgery itself, how the fills are done and possible complications during or after surgery.

I think anyone who is considering the band and the people closest to them should read this book before hand.