any details are greatly appreciated on the cost of lap band..!

Hey, Torim19! As I am not yet a member of bandland, I'm in the same boat you are. I'm getting prices from lots of places.... and believe me, they are all over the spectrum! Mexico seems to be one of the most economical place to have the surgery, so far. I'm not sure where you are located, but I got a good price from a dr. in Mississippi. I'm in Alabama and the price I was given by a local surgeon was around $19,000. Which to me is pretty high. The dr.s in Dalton, GA have quoted me around $13,000 for outpatient surgery. Of course, the band is not all of that cost, there are the hospital costs, the anesthesia, etc. worked into that price. And don't forget when pricing, you have to consider the cost of fills afterwards. It's alot of hard work to get to the point of having the surgery, but I hold steadfast in my belief that it will be SOOOOO worth it! I'm pretty sure that most of the other people here will have a more accurate number since they've already been through the surgery, but I saw your post and wanted to reply since I have been doing the same investigation.

Good Luck!

Hope

I am paying 15,000. For everything for 1 year, all fills and so on. This price includes it all for one year. after that fills are 125.00 Iam havign surgery in Birmingham, AL

I went to France and paid Euro 4400 = ~$5500. That includes all hospital costs and the device. While I was there, I heard Belgium is substantially cheaper (maybe $1500 +). Of course you have to add in airfare, and probably some time in a hotel, but I think France is even cheaper than Mexico, and they have a more reputable health care system. I say the last about the system overall....I know there are some wonderful Mexican doctors and hospitals out there, it's just their system as a whole is not as strong.

The Gastric Band Institute in Chattanooga TN is $13,700 if you have the surgery in Dalton GA (30 minutes down the road). This price includes the facility, anethesia, band, surgery, etc, and all fills/unfills for one year. This is the best price around, it beat out Mexico for me! Plus Dr Ponce is awesome!

Check out their web site: www.gastricbandinstitute.com

I am paying 16,000. For everything for 1 year, all fills and so on. This price includes it all for one year. Here in Las Vegas

I am paying $10,750 at Tallgrass in Topeka, KS w/ Dr. Dunshee.

This price includes:

1. facility
   
2. anethesia
   
3. band
   
4. surgery
   
5. pre-op testings
   
6. 1 night stay at a hotel after surgery (I live about 2 hours away.)
   
7. 1 year of care
   
8. 1 year of fills

This is onoe of the best prices I have found. I did a whole lot of research on Tallgrass and the WL doctors there .... I have heard all good!!

That is an extremely good price for surgery in the US. Good for you. I'm glad you found such a reasonable dr. with such a good reputation. I used to live in Topeka years ago when Forbes Air Force Base was open there. There was a barbeque place in town I absolutely loved, but the name escapes me. Keep in touch and let everyone know how you are doing and good luck to you.

I am going to Monterrey Mx and going to pay $9100 to have mine done in the nicest hospital in MX with the best doctor in MX. LOL kidding. it is an american run hospital, so it is one of the nicest. Dr. Sanchez has done over 5000 bands, so he has TONS of experience. And the price includes airfare, one nights hospital stay, the surgery and the band and all that is needed with that, a few nights stay in Dr. Sanchez's guest house, transportation all over the place, and free fills and help. Also, if anything goes wrong they will bring you back to monterrey andfix it.

any details are greatly appreciated on the cost of lap band..!

I just got this bill from Medical City in Dallas and this does not include the surgens costs. $44,775.00

:omg:

WOW,

Not having had surgery in a very very long time I guess I did not ask the right people or the right questions before the lap band surgery. Not that I would necessarily changed my mind but I thought I did thorough research before I made the decision to have the surgery but I would have been prepared for the hospital bill.

The surgery was covered, in part, by my insurance but you need to find out what that means from your own insurance if covered.

When I asked the doctors office what my costs would be once they informed me of my approval they gave me an amount that I can only guess was just for the doctors services and not the hospitals, so I know now.

So you may have an idea of the costs, here is what my hospital bill says the charges are for the day surgery for the lap band. I am not sure what they all mean so if anyone knows feel free to respond. I have left the cents off just to make it easier and have to make jest of some of it.

4 units pharmacy iv solutions $911.00

2 units Med/surg supplies gen $969.00 Your guess is as good as mine.

2 units supply/implants $23,567.00 -I thought they just put in one lap-band, I must have 2.

1 units Rad dx-general $786.00

4 units Anesthesia-general $2,423.00 Should have just hit me in the head with a hammer or drank a 1/5 of vodka.

14 units Pharmacy-general 1,215.00 I don’t recall receiving 14 of anything.

1 units pharmacy-other $49.00 This might have been for the shot of liquid pain meds after the surgery. Worth every penny.

4 units Med/surg sterile supply $1,717.00 How much for the non sterile?

2 units lab-chemistry $146.00

4 units or-general surgery $11,050.00 I just wanted one surgery not 4, maybe for the 4 holes they put in me.

3 units recovery room 1,936.00 I only was in one bed

Dr. Hadar Spivak in Houston charges $12,900 for self-pay and that includes surgeon's fee, anesthesiologist, hospital fees, and 1 year of fills/unfills. I have not had any additional costs except for post-op pain medication, which was about $30.

So far I've paid around $280 for pre-op testing

I consider my insurnace very good.

Dr's fee $3,500

Hospital charges $15,000 (ouch!) That includes everything, I'm required to stay overnight.

They (BC/BS of Michigan) will pay 90% of everything after I pay a $100.00 deductable. (already met that for 2007) And the co-pay cap is $500.00 So I will only pay $600.00 total.

I realize I'm very lucky to have this benefit.

I never could do this if I had to self-pay.

I also asked how Dr. charges for fills, she said they are billing them as an office copay right now. ($10!!)

My surgeon's price is $9950 for self payers. He's in Denver. A fair number of people in this forum have used him now and everyone seems to like him. His web site is in my signature if anyone's interested.

I am self paying in Connecticut , the MD was 3800 and the hospital is 7000. So total is 10,800.

That is not including any of the pre-op visits, nutrition, initial consult etc...

i have no idea what the surgrey will cost, but reading your replies , to the costs , really made me laugh...........

I would say that is a pretty steep bill myself. That is actually outrageous! I had 2 stents placed in August and my bill was over $40,000 to. I was really shocked. I hope you have insurance is all I can say!

~Joan~