Achieving Weight Loss Success With Lap Band Surgery

If you have struggled with weight loss and are tired of being overweight, then you may want to find out how lap band surgery can help you safely and permanently lose weight. Learn more about how the procedure works, expenses and cost factors, and key benefits that have made it one of the most popular surgical treatments for obesity.

Why Lap Band Surgery?

Lap band surgery is one of the few methods that has been proven successful in helping clinically obese individuals achieve significant and lasting weight loss, leading to an improvement in both overall health and quality of life. The procedure has been used worldwide for over a decade, with studies showing an overwhelming rate of positive outcomes.

Gastric banding has many advantages when compared to the other surgical weight loss options, especially since it is a less drastic and less invasive alternative with similar long-term weight loss results. The procedure does not involve cutting out stomach tissue or rerouting the digestive tract, has a lower rate of serious complications, and is considered the safest of the surgical options for severe obesity by many medical professionals. It can also be adjusted for personalized treatment or pregnancy, or reversed if medically necessary.

How it Works

The procedure involves wrapping an implantable silicone band around the upper part of the stomach. This creates a narrower stomach opening and a smaller stomach pouch that restricts food intake, increases satiety, and lessens hunger sensations.

The medical device consists of an adjustable gastric band, connective tubing, and an access port that allows for adjustments without additional surgery. The size of the band opening can be adjusted to let in more or less food as needed by adding or removing saline which makes the opening bigger or smaller. Adjustments are a unique feature of the lap band procedure and an important aspect of follow-up care.

As with all types of weight loss surgery, lap band surgery should not be thought of as a magic cure for weight loss, but a tool that can help overweight individuals lose a great amount of excess weight and keep it off over time. Individuals who have tried to lose weight with other methods - dieting, participating in diet programs, exercising - but haven't been able to make any lasting progress, may be able to finally achieve weight loss success with lap band surgery.

Cost of Surgery

There are many factors to consider when comparing how much it will cost you to have lap band surgery. What you pay will depend on where you have the surgery done, what fees and services are included in the quoted price, and any other related expenses that are necessary. Find out from your surgeon what fees are included and which ones are not in the amount you will be paying for your surgery. When you are comparing costs, remember it is important to consider the quality of care you will receive from your doctor throughout the process as well.

On average, it costs about $15,000 to $20,000 to have lap-band surgery in the United States. Lap band surgery is not cheap but your life may depend on it. If you are considering any type of weight loss surgery it should be because you have not been able to lose weight thru diet and exercise alone and you are trying to save your life from the health dangers of obesity.

If you need payment assistance, talk to your doctor about payment options, contact your health insurance provider to see if they cover lap band surgery, or find out if you qualify for patient financing.