How Much Is The Cost Of Lap Band Surgery?

By Jessica Sharpe

The cost of lap band surgery as opposed to gastric by pass surgery in the United States is generally ranges anywhere from about eleven thousand to twenty five thousand dollars US for lap band. For gastric by pass, it may be as high as fifty to eighty thousand dollars, US.

Because the lap band procedure has many benefits over gastric by pass surgery, the appeal in the states for the procedure is high. This is reflected in the cost of lap band surgery, higher demand means higher prices, generally speaking. The option generally leaves little scarring, is reversible, has much less risk of infections and a minimal hospital stay and this makes it a very desirable surgery. Unfortunately, that means that it also costs a great deal more.

Lap band surgery has increased in popularity against the gastric by pass for many more reasons. The health risks shown in gastric by pass, in addition to the invasive nature of the procedure, often involving cutting of the stomach or intestines make for an intimidating thought.

In most other countries that perform lap band surgery, the cost is much lower, even when factoring in the travel and accommodations. People often find that in addition to the high cost of gastric by pass, that the lap band procedure in the United States is still a bit out of their price range. This leads to most discovering that in traveling to Mexico or other places abroad, they can obtain the surgery at a much lower price. In Mexico, the cost of lap band surgery is much lower- the lowest cost seen at roughly five thousand dollars.

When looking into the cost of lap band surgery versus gastric by pass, another thing that people have noticed is that there are options apart from having the procedure done in the United States. There is a growing trend towards people engaging in what is known as "medical tourism", and this usually involves going to another country for their surgical needs.

While air travel is not usually included, many people find that medical tourism agencies have great options for procuring the lap band surgery in Mexico. Because the location is more near to the United States, and the prices for the surgery itself run lower, this has become a favorite location. These packages are pretty inclusive, usually containing lodging accommodations, pre-surgical testing and diagnostic screenings, the surgery itself, and the recovery care that will be needed for patients that are undergoing the procedure.

Because this procedure was only recently approved by the FDA for use in the United States, many people have begun to seek it out in other countries. In these countries, the surgery has been performed successfully and safely for a number of years already- this leads to the cost of lap band surgery being much lower in these places.

One of the things that may hold people back, apart from the cost of lap band surgery is safety. The thing to remember is, though the lap band surgery was only very recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in the United States, it has been safely and effectively used worldwide for many years prior to that. With a wide variety of payment options usually available, seeking out the lap band surgery in Mexico has become one of the best ways to go about it. - 31905

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