It is probably no surprise to learn that one of the first questions that people confronted with weight loss surgery ask is “what is the cost of gastric bypass surgery these days?” Whilst this is a very reasonable question, unfortunately it is not a simple question to answer.

Gastric bypass surgery is a full surgical procedure, requiring the services of a fairly sizeable surgical team including a qualified bariatric surgeon, an anesthetist, a psychologist and several other specialists, in addition to hospitalization for normally two to three days followed by a two to six week week recovery period. Gastric bypass surgery also comes in several different forms today and While the long-established Roux-en-Y procedure is still widely used, many other forms of surgery, particularly laparoscopic stomach surgery, are becoming increasingly popular.

Also, Like many other forms of surgery, gastric bypass surgery is not risk free and, although the majority of people will breeze through the procedure, a significant number will develop complications either in hospital or while recovering at home which may well push up the overall cost of the procedure considerably.

Against this background it can be seen that the cost is going to be high and is going to vary widely, but just how high is it and what sort of variation can be expected?

At lower end of the scale, a comparatively minor operation, like gastric banding, without difficulties can be expected to cost in the region of $20,000. This sum will increase to perhaps as much as $35,000 for full gastric bypass surgery. If complications develop it is extremely hard to calculate what the additional cost might be but it would not be inconceivable to think in terms of a final cost of $50,000.

Although gastric bypass surgery is expensive, the good news is that, in many cases, a significant proportion, if not all, of this cost may be met by insurance. This will of course depend upon the type of insurance you hold and the terms of the policy and can frequently involve something of a battle with your insurance provider but, nonetheless, this is the first avenue which you should investigate.

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Further articles covering gastric bypass surgery plus general information about gastric bypass surgery will be found by visiting GastricBypassFacts.info