Analysis & Cost of Lap Band Surgery (“Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Band”) & Whether It’s Right for You
The cost of lap band surgery may be less than other types of bariatric surgery, but how do the short and long-term results compare? This page dives into the details, including…
- Lap band surgery cost
- Could lap band surgery be right for you?
- What’s the difference between it and other bariatric surgery procedures?
- Results of surgery – including average weight lost and impact on co-morbidities
- Complications & Mortality
- The Procedure (explanation and videos)
- Recovery
- Life after lap band surgery
- Bariatric
doctors specializing in Gastric Banding
Cost of Lap Band Surgery
"Some costs are overlooked by patients when making the decision to move forward."
Several components contribute to the total cost of lap band surgery, some of which are overlooked by patients when making estimates of their total surgical expense…
- Surgeon fees
- Surgical assistant fees
- Anesthesiologist fees
- Lab fees
- Cost of lap band surgery system and placement (you have a choice in systems – more on this in the procedure section further down the page)
- Hospital or surgery center fees
- Follow up care and band adjustments
- Nutritionist/Dietician pre- and post-operative consultations
- Bariatric vitamins and supplements
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Depending on your surgeon, hospital and area of the country, the cost of lap band surgery, excluding follow-up visits and vitamins, can range anywhere from $10,000 to $25,000. Follow-up visits, which cost from $15 to $300 each, also depend on your doctor.
See our Bariatric Vitamins page for details about supplement costs.
More information about the cost of lap band surgery and financing can be found on the following pages…
Could Lap Band Surgery Be Right for You?
This question is more difficult with lap band surgery than with other types of bariatric surgery as there are many conflicting opinions.
Some researchers say it’s not good for the super obese (body mass index at or above 40) since it results in less weight loss. But patients with a higher BMI have a greater risk for developing complications during and after more complex procedures. For this reason alone, lap band surgery might be a good option because of its higher safety record.
Others are turned off by the number of follow up visits required for band adjustments and the relatively high percentage of reoperations and band removals. But, on the plus side, the surgery is reversible unlike other more permanent procedures.
Finally, critics site the additional costs associated with the required follow up visits for band adjustments. But the overall cost of lap band surgery can be noticeably less than other options.
The rest of this page will help you understand all of the positives and negatives and how they stack up to those associated with other types of bariatric surgery so you can decide for yourself…
The Difference between the Gastric Lap Band and Other Bariatric Surgery Procedures
Lap band surgery is better than other procedures in two ways…
"Lap band surgery is better than other procedures in 2 ways, but it has 3 trade-offs."
- It has less severe complications
- The cost of lap band surgery can be lower
The main three trade-offs are that…
- You’re likely to lose less weight
- It requires more follow-up visits with your doctor
- It has more minor and annoying complications
We’ll address the complications and weight loss percentages further down the page. Now let’s turn our attention to research that directly compares lap band surgery to other bariatric procedures (we’ll summarize the findings below the chart)…
| Summary of Findings When Comparing Gastric Bypass to Other Procedures | Year of Study | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| References: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H *For simplicity, all acronyms and procedure names have been changed to a common name (i.e. LAGB and Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding were changed to Lap Band Surgery). |
|||||||||||||||||||
| Laparoscopic
Gastric Bypass Surgery vs
Lap Band Surgery |
|||||||||||||||||||
| Weight loss outcomes strongly favored Roux-en-Y gastric bypass over lap band surgery. Patients treated with lap band surgery had lower short-term morbidity than those treated with Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, but reoperation rates were higher among patients who received lap band surgery. Gastric bypass should remain the primary bariatric procedure used to treat obesity in the United States.F | 2008 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Collectively, data clearly point to distinct changes in dietary habits after bariatric operations which markedly differ between gastric bypass and lap band patients. Overall, it is tempting to conclude that gastric bypass operations lead to a healthier and a more balanced diet than lap band implantations.G | 2008 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Gastric bypass seems to provide a stronger suppression of ghrelin in comparison with the gastric lap band procedure. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that suppression of ghrelin is one mechanism by which gastric bypass can reduce body weight long term, more than lap band surgery.H | 2003 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Vertical
Banded Gastroplasty (VBG) vs
Lap Band Surgery |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2007 | ||||||||||||||||||
| At 1 year after surgery, the costs and Quality of Life of the two treatment modalities were found to be equal. Therefore, the selection of the procedure can be based on the clinical aspects, effectivity and safety at 1 year.B | 2006 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Despite the initial better weight loss in the Vertical Banded Gastroplasty group, based on complication rates and clinical outcome, Lap Band Surgery is preferred. It had a shorter length of stay and less postoperative morbidity.C | 2005 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Gastric
Sleeve Surgery vs
Lap Band Surgery |
|||||||||||||||||||
| Weight loss and loss of feeling of hunger after 1 year and 3 years are better after gastric sleeve surgery than lap band surgery. Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease is more frequent at 1 year after gastric sleeve surgery and at 3 years after lap band surgery. The number of re-operations is important in both groups, but the severity of complications appears higher in gastric sleeve surgery.D | 2006 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Biliopancreatic Diversion vs
Lap Band Surgery |
|||||||||||||||||||
| Biliopancreatic diversion surgery results in significantly greater weight loss than lap band surgery in superobese patients, but is associated with a longer hospital stay and a higher complication rate.E | 2004 | ||||||||||||||||||
In summary, here’s how lap band surgery stacks up to your other options…
- Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass Surgery – lap band surgery and gastric bypass are “neck and neck,” as each has convincing advantages and disadvantages. The edge has to be given to gastric bypass as it results in greater weight loss, lower reoperation rates and lower hunger feelings following surgery. But lap band surgery has the lower complication rates, the lower costs and the procedure is reversible, which makes it a viable option for many patients.
- Vertical Banded Gastroplasty - While in some cases VBG could be recommended, in general lap band surgery is preferred due to similar long-term weight loss, much fewer complications and a shorter hospital stay.
- Gastric Sleeve Surgery – The GS is better than gastric banding in a number of ways… more weight loss, lower feeling of hunger after surgery and less long term incidents of GERD. However, the gastric sleeve has more severe complications associated with it. The GS also needs more long-term research in order to solidify its position as a recommended bariatric procedure.
- Duodenal Switch – BPD/DS (or DS for short) is far better in terms of weight loss, but being the most complicated surgery to perform, it carries with it one of the highest complication rates and longest hospital stays. As a result, it may be a more serious consideration for the super obese (body mass index 40 or above), but the morbidly obese are probably better off with a safer procedure.
- Mini Gastric Bypass Surgery – where lap band surgery snuck up on the more popular gastric bypass several years back, the mini gastric bypass appears to be doing the same now. Many surgeons write it off as “gimmicky”, partly due to the emerging number of inexperienced surgeons offering to conduct this toned-down version of the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. But in the hands of a good surgeon, research is emerging that suggests the MGBP will give the results of Roux-en-Y with the low complications of the lap band. Time will tell.
See our Lap Band vs Gastric Bypass page for a full comparison of the two most commonly performed bariatric procedures.
For further comparison of lap band surgery to other procedures (including the cost of lap band surgery vs other procedures), see our Types of Bariatric Surgery page.
Results of Gastric Lap Band Surgery
Lap band surgery is associated with a relatively low rate of both serious complications and mortality. And like other types of bariatric surgery, it usually results in a significant improvement in obesity health problems.
"...its higher minor complication and reoperation rates are borderline unacceptable."
On the down side… its long-term average is around 50% of excess weight lost, but from patient to patient there is an extremely high rate of variability. You could lose as little as 30% or less and as high as 80% or more of your excess weight.
Plus, its high percentages of minor complications and reoperation rate are borderline unacceptable.
See our Lap Band Surgery Results page to weigh the pros against the cons.
Lap Band Surgery Complications & Risks
Serious complications are far less common after lap band surgery than with other procedures. Again, the trade off is a much higher rate of minor and annoying problems along with more reoperations.
See our Lap Band Problems and Lap Band Complications page for a complete list of complications, how often they occur, how to avoid them and the treatments used to address them.
Our Lap Band Surgery Failure page reviews the 2 types of lap band failure, how to prevent them from occuring and how to maintain or continue your weight loss if your lap band fails.
Gastric Lap Band Procedure
Lap band surgery works by wrapping a silicone and Silastic band around the top part of the stomach and sewing it into place.
The inner surface of the band has a balloon attached (imagine the inside of a bicycle tire) which is connected to a tube that leads to a half-dollar-sized port above the abdominal muscles (but below the skin). This balloon is where saline solution will be “filled” and “unfilled” during the recovery period until your ideal tightness is found.
Because the procedure works by shrinking your stomach to make you feel full sooner, it is known as "restrictive".
The entire procedure usually takes about an hour to complete.
See our Gastric Lap Band Procedure page for videos, details and which techniques and systems have better results.
Lap Band Surgery Recovery
As with all procedures, as soon as you wake up from surgery your doctor will get you up and moving to avoid blood clots and blood clot symptoms. They may also have you wear compression stockings, use a compression device on your legs or keep you on blood thinners.
YOUR Weight Loss Journey
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The recovery from lap band surgery can be much quicker than other bariatric procedures. Many patients are back to work in a week or sooner, but it’s a good idea to plan at least 2 weeks off to give yourself some time for adjustment.
As you recover, your diet after lap band surgery will slowly transition from liquids to solids and may include one or more bariatric vitamins.
During follow up visits – weekly for the first month, every month or two for the first year, every quarter during the second year and semi-annually or annually from the third year on – your doctor will add or remove saline solution (salt water) to your band via the access port in your abdomen. It may take up to 10 adjustments to get the fill amount just right, after which you will only need periodic adjustments.
The tighter the band is, the less hungry you feel and vice-versa. Doctors are careful not to over-tighten as that could lead to problems such as reflux and vomiting in addition to preventing you from getting the nutrients you need.
Life After Lap Band Surgery
Things will be much different for you after surgery. You will slowly but surely be losing weight… it may take 2 to 3 years to hit your low point which, on average, will be a reduction of about 50% of your excess weight. This amount varies widely from patient to patient as our Lap Band Surgery Results page explains.
YOUR Weight Loss Journey
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As mentioned above, you’ll also see your obesity health issues improve or fade away altogether.
Your new lap band diet will have you eating in an entirely different way, including what you eat, how you eat it and the amounts you’ll have at each meal.
If your diet isn’t just right, you could experience constipation. Drinking more water and taking bariatric vitamins including fiber, calcium and iron usually helps.
Take a look at our Lap Band Success Stories page (coming soon) to read about experiences from actual patients.
Our Life After Weight Loss Surgery page gets into the rest of the changes patients experience after gastric lap band surgery along with all other types of bariatric surgery.
Bariatric doctors specializing in Lap Band Surgery
Finding a good lap band surgeon involves the same steps as finding a specialist for any other bariatric procedure. Your doctor should be qualified, experienced, willing to refer you to previous patients and generally “feel right” after your in-depth interview.
"Pars flaccida results in a significantly lower percentage of band slippage."
The one lap-band-specific point to look out for is the technique that your doctor uses to place the band. Be sure to ask your doctor whether they use the “pars flaccida” or “perigastric” technique. Pars flaccida results in a significantly lower percentage of band slippage, so only work with doctors who are familiar with this method.
See our Bariatric Doctors page for everything else you need to know to find the surgeon that's right for you.
In addition to the methods we recommend on that page, you can also search for surgeons in your area using our directory of bariatric surgeons (includes all surgeons designated as Centers of Excellence as well as recommedations from other visitors):
For additional research, search for your topic of interest...
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