Lap-Band Surgery is a very popular form of obesity surgery which causes weight loss simply by making the stomach smaller. But the cost of Lap-Band Surgery is not cheap. In USA, the cost of this surgery ranges from $12,000 to $ 20,000.The Health plans such as Medicare and Medicaid cover the cost of the surgery only if one can prove dire medical necessity. This means the BMI has to be higher than 40, and one should be able to demonstrate a history of previous attempts at weight loss. Anyone who does not meet these requirements does not qualify for health plan coverage for the surgery.

 

Due to the above reasons this surgery is out of the budget for many people. For such people there is an alternative available in countries like Mexico, Costa Rica, and India where the same surgery is available for cheap. Some people think that the quality of the surgery will suffer if they will go overseas for the operation. But this is a false impression. Many of the doctors in these countries have more experience than the doctors in USA. In Mexico Lap-Band Surgery has been successfully performed since 1996.In USA this surgery was approved by FDA in 2001.This implies that the surgeons there have more than 11 years of experience in this type of surgery as compared to 6 to 7 years experience of US Lap-Band Surgeons.

The main reason that these countries provide cheap Lap-Band Surgery is that the general cost of living there is lower than in USA. This means that the cost of almost everything such as hospital prices, surgeon’s fee, food, and boarding is lower in these countries than USA .But this does not mean that the quality of the hospital is in any way lower than those available in the USA. But is always better to crosscheck with the surgeon about the quality of Lap-Band used. The FDA approved bands are INAMED produces by Allergan and Realize Band produced by Johnson & Johnson.

Of course, when traveling overseas for cheap lap band surgery, you need to be careful to choose only an international quality hospital and a reputed, top notch surgeon. For this, verify the track record of the hospitals and the credentials of the surgeons one is considering. Though cheaper is a relative term, surgery there is cheaper by about 50% for the same quality service & Lap Band device.

 

 



By: Alma Orozco

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