Have you ever considered being banded in Australia?.With you Dollar being so strong comparative to the Australian dollar I would wonder if it could well be something to consider.For the same price as going to Mexico you could come here have a wonderful holiday.be banded with some of the best and stay in five star hospitals.

If my insurance didnt cover it I would probably love to come over to Austrailia. My goodness the men over there are gorgeous! I went to Las Vegas a couple of weeks ago and went to see The Thunder From Down Under. That was fun. The accent is so sexy. I will visit Austrailia one day. I was banded on the 30th of June, I want to lose some weight before I come down under!

Angie

I've been watching stripsearch, the guy that put together thunder from down under is putting together a group from america. But thunder from down under was acutally on the show last week and...omg...I want to go to vegas now JUST to see them. I too am a sucker for the accents.

Melissa

Have you ever considered being banded in Australia?.With you Dollar being so strong comparative to the Australian dollar I would wonder if it could well be something to consider.For the same price as going to Mexico you could come here have a wonderful holiday.be banded with some of the best and stay in five star hospitals.

What does it cost to be banded in Mexico?

I know that uninsured bands in Brisbane can be up to AUD$22,000 (about USD$15,800)

So if you add airfares, hotel stay I am not sure it *would* be much cheaper. And most surgeons here need to see you at least once before surgery, and see their team, so the process could take up to a month.

And I am pretty sure that a few of our surgeons operate in the US anyway (Prof O'Brien and Dr Feilding being two that spring to mind)

I will find out more info on the costs as such I must admit I had private insurance and medicare contribute to the costs.We shall see I think about $14 000 aussie dollars you know.Accommodation approx $100 per night there are cheaper options.

I *do* know what it costs to be banded in Brisbane, because I live here, and was banded here too. I dont know about the rest of the country, but by the time you add airfare, and a hotel stay, it really works out to be quite expensive (without private cover and a medicare rebate)

And that hotel stay could be up to a month, because I dont know of one surgeon in Brisbane who will do consults via email, or the phone. So you go in for first consult, then by the time you see all of the team, it *could* be a minimum of a couple of weeks. And even at $75 per night that is still AUD$1050.00 for 14 days.

I am not trying to be negitive here, but it really isnt that much cheaper when you look at it, and account for everything, including the Aussie dollar being at about 75 cents to the US dollar.

I will say this though, we have some of the best banding surgeons in the world, and to my mind it would be worth the extra it would cost to come to Austraila to be banded.

So a quick run down of costs;

(on your numbers, Annette, and at the conversion rate at 75 Aussie cents to the US dollar)

AUD$14,000 USD$10,500 Banding

AUD$ 1,400 USD$ 1,050 Hotel for 14 days (that would be the min)

AUD$ 2,000 USD$ 1,500 Airfare (a rough guess)

AUD$ 1,000 USD$ 750 Surgeons "team" and pre op testing (Again a minimum depending on the hospital)

TOTAL

AUD$18,400 or USD$13,800

On top of all of that you would have to add the hospital room, and operating theater costs (they get covered by private cover most of the time for Aussies, so that would make $14,000 about right for just the banding) And that is forgetting transport costs (bus, cabs, hire car or train) food and any shopping.

Like I said before, some of our best surgeons operate in the US anyway.

I loooooooove australia-Im getting married there in November-brisbane is nice-thats where I won my $23k playing blackjack!!!

I think that the biggest issue (if cost worked out) with going to Australia for surgery would be the flight home. I had a 3 hour flight back from Mexico and by the time I got home, I was most definitely ready to be off the plane and on the way to my house. My mom and her boyfriend went to Australia for a vacation, and the travel time to get home with stops and whatnot was 24 hours. I really don't think I could have done that much travel right after surgery.

I do want to go to Australia one day tho

I admire all of those that travel to get the surgery. I don't think I could have personally done it. So my hats off to everyone that had or has to travel!!

Dedication!!!! I admire that very much!!!

Austraila would be devine!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Who in their right mind wouldn't want to go there??

But as for cost its Dr.Pleatman all the way from the great state of MICHIGAN! He is $12,500. Total for all cost- includes hospital & gas & everything. Plus he is two years of fills for free. He did me & i am looking better ever day. I even convinced him to post here under Dr.Pleatman & he did. Go check it out.

Good luck to all & I think we should all have a HUGE Bandster reunion down under one day- How much fun would that be!!!!!!