Friday, June 19, 2009

Lap Band Surgery in Griffin, GA

Bariatric surgery is like lap band surgery in many other cities in America today. This procedure is being performed on an outpatient basis in outpatient surgery centers and has almost become commonplace. This county has a problem with obesity and the lap band has added years to the lives of many people that are severely overweight.

If you have a Body Mass index of 40 or more and are 100 pounds over weight, gastric bypass surgery may be a weight loss solution. Weight loss surgery is sometimes performed on people that three fourths of these figures that have conditions related to being overweight. This surgery can be life saving for someone that suffers from high blood pressure, type II diabetes and sleep apnea, to name a few. Lap band surgery in Griffin, GA can help you regain your health.

The lap band is a silicon band that is adjustable and it is placed around the top of the stomach forming a small pouch. The gastric band is attached to a port that is implanted under the skin of the stomach. Adding or removing saline from the port adjusts the tightness of the band around the stomach. With the stomach pouch holding about 1 ounce, it is easy to see the patient can feel full on very little food.

Like any surgery, the lap band is not without its risks. But if the truth be told, the health risks associated with obesity are far greater than those associated with having the gastric banding procedure. There is extensive counseling and pre-op education required before obesity surgery. In order to be successful and maintain your weight loss, it is recommended that you participate in some type of after care or support group.

Lap band surgery in Griffin, GA can be life changing, but lap band surgery is only a tool and you are going to get out of it what you put into it. Success will come as long as you are willing to make lifestyle changes.

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Thursday, June 18, 2009

What Will Lap Band Surgery Cost?

If you are considering lap band surgery, it will not be long before you start thinking about the cost of lap band surgery. There may still be an out-of-pocket expense, even if you have insurance. Depending on your insurance plan, you may not have much of an out-of-pocket expense.

I had a RNY(the stomach stapling type of gastric bypass surgery) and did not even bother to find out how much of the cost of the surgery was covered by my insurance company. To me, it did not matter the cost, I was going to have the surgery anyway. There was a lady that was in one of my support groups whose insurance policy cover 50% of the cost and she had the same providet as I. I had the surgery.

I got a $31,000 bill a month later. All I could think of was how long I was going to be paying for this surgery. Thirty days later the bill came again and you can imagine my surprise when the bill had $250 in the amount due field. I wrote that check very quickly. Only your insurance company can tell you what your out of pocket expense will be.

Lap band surgery is a lot less expensive than the RNY, because there is no reconstruction involved. Gastric banding was not covered by my insurance company, at the time I had my surgery. The cost of gastric banding is covered by many insurance companies.

However, the cost of lap band surgery is relatively inexpensive as far as surgeries go. And it is definitely less than the cost of obesity related medical issues. The cost of this type of weight loss surgery is generally between $10,000 and $20,000. There are numerous bariatric surgery facilities that offer financing and both the Lap Band and Realize Band manufacturers offer financing for their products. The cost of lap band surgery is less than the price of a new car.

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Tuesday, January 01, 2008

The Cost of Lap Band Surgery Decreasing

As the lap band surgery procedure is performed more often, the cost of lap band surgery is decreasing. This surgery can be found at almost any gastric banding clinic or hospital between the price of $10K-$15K. Although, I am starting see indications that this price is decreasing.

I have seen a few places that are now advertising this surgery for less than $10K and I expect there will be more of this to come. If you do not carry insurance that covers this surgery, Medicare has begun paying for this health sustaining surgery.

Many gastric bypass surgery clinics offer payment plans to cover the cost of lap band surgery. If you have tried other weight loss plans with limited or no success, you may want to consider lap band surgery. But you must also realize that this surgery is only a tool and it will require lifestyle changes on your part to maintain a healthy weight after lap band surgery.

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