...then the sleeve?! I just finished seeing my surgeon and he scared the crap out of me!!! He says that the sleeve and bypass have the same results except the bypass has a higher risk with complications. I know it does, but he just made it sound so scary. My heart was set on gastic bypass, but now I'm just so confused!!

10k cheaper?!?! Dang, what are you paying? My surgeon (centers of excellence) only charges 16k for RNY and 14k for sleeve.

my hospital bill came in. not including surgeons or anesthesia fees was over 40,000 and I had no complications

my hospital bill came in. not including surgeons or anesthesia fees was over 40' date='000 and I had no complications[/quote']

Holly crap

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My gastric bypass is costing $26,500 (self-pay). I am up to around $30,000 with other expenses. Hospital costs $3,000 per night. I hope that I will not have any complications.

10k cheaper?!?! Dang, what are you paying? My surgeon (centers of excellence) only charges 16k for RNY and 14k for sleeve.

$26,500

26' date='500[/quote']

Holy cow! This is where I am happy to be Canadian! Our provincial healthcare pays for all!

In an article published June 20th of this year, the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS which is the governing body for Centers of Excellence) says...

• "Studies from Stanford University, Cleveland Clinic Florida and the Naval Medical Center in San Diego show laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, an increasingly popular surgical procedure where the stomach is reduced by 85 percent, is as safe as or safer than laparoscopic gastric bypass or gastric banding."
  
• "In one study, Stanford University researchers analyzed safety data from nearly 270,000 metabolic and bariatric surgeries performed between 2007 and 2010. Nearly 16,000 of the procedures were sleeve gastrectomies, which had a 30-day serious complication rate of less than one percent (0.96%), compared to a rate of 1.25 percent for gastric bypass and one-quarter of one percent (0.25%) for gastric banding."
  
• "The 30-day mortality rate for sleeve gastrectomy was 0.08 percent, while the rate for gastric bypass was 0.14 percent and 0.03 percent for gastric banding. These mortality and complication rates are lower than those typically associated with gallbladder or hip replacement surgery."
  
• "Gastric bypass resulted in the most average weight loss after one year. The average body mass index (BMI) after this procedure dropped by about 40 percent (47.7 to 31.2). Sleeve gastrectomy patients experienced about a 30 percent drop (47.5 to 34.1), while gastric band patients had a 20 percent reduction (45.1 to 37.5)."
  
• "The rate of a gastrointestinal leak, considered a serious complication, was three-tenths of one percent (0.3%) for sleeve gastrectomy versus four-tenths of one percent (0.4%) for gastric bypass patients. The percentage of procedures requiring reoperations due to complications was 15.3 percent for the gastric band, 7.7 percent for gastric bypass and 1.5 percent for sleeve gastrectomy."
  
• "A third study on sleeve gastrectomy conducted by the Naval Medical Center in San Diego found while gastric bypass patients lost more of their excess weight after the first year, 72.3 percent versus 63.7 percent, there were no statistically significant differences in excess weight loss after two and five years. This study examined 486 patients, half had gastric bypass and half had sleeve gastrectomy."
  

Full Article

Bear in mind that 0.08 percent means eight patients for every 10,000. 0.14 percent = 14 patients for every 10,000. A doctor may have very good reasons for encouraging a patient to have one surgery or the other but statistically speaking, the mortality and complication rates for either surgery are very, very low. No matter how you slice it, the odds are overwhelmingly in your favor.

My hospital bill was about 67,000 for Gastric Bypass. I stayed for 2 days. Insurance covered most of it. I got a bill for 1500.

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Thank you DL Coggim. That is really helpful information that helps calm some of my fears.

Holy cow! This is where I am happy to be Canadian! Our provincial healthcare pays for all!

The medical profession exists in the US to make a profit. In the US, healthcare is a privilege, not a right.

I did not mean to offend by that comment -but I am happy with our healthcare. As a paediatric nurse, I see many non "privileged" Kids who would have a pretty bad outcome without our healthcare system. But again, I didn't mean to offend anyone I know philosophies are different on this subject

I took no offense at all! Envious in some ways but certainly not offended!! No worries!

Someone posted that RNY is 40 years old. It's actually been around a lot longer than that, over a hundred years, according to my surgeon. It's just that prior to the more recent past, it was used to treat other illnesses. I feel the most comfortable with all those years of data, and the fact that they're not taking any parts out. (I'm one week into the pre-op 6month process, so I'm learning a lot, very rapidly)

I did not mean to offend by that comment -but I am happy with our healthcare. As a paediatric nurse' date=' I see many non "privileged" Kids who would have a pretty bad outcome without our healthcare system. But again, I didn't mean to offend anyone I know philosophies are different on this subject <img src='http://www.bariatricpal.com/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />

[/quote']

I also did not take offense from your comment. I donate every month to st. Jude's hospital for children. I am saddened to see many underprivileged children with little or no access to healthcare. I would like to see healthcare in the US become a right and not just a privilege. I knows many people who do not get treatment for illnesses because of lack of funds. I admire the Canadian health care system. No system is perfect. The US system has some wonderful advantages. I just always remember that in the US the number 1 driver of all activity is the profit motive. With that insight I can understand the system better, such as my insurance company's always finding a reason not to pay for surgery.

I also did not take offense from your comment. I donate every month to st. Jude's hospital for children. I am saddened to see many underprivileged children with little or no access to healthcare. I would like to see healthcare in the US become a right and not just a privilege. I knows many people who do not get treatment for illnesses because of lack of funds. I admire the Canadian health care system. No system is perfect. The US system has some wonderful advantages. I just always remember that in the US the number 1 driver of all activity is the profit motive. With that insight I can understand the system better' date=' such as my insurance company's always finding a reason not to pay for surgery.[/quote']

I donate to 2 organizations for thanksgiving holiday. makes me feel good.