Gastric band price list - typical UK prices for gastric bands and other surgical weight loss operations are shown below. The gastric band procedure is an expensive operation if funded privately although NHS gastric banding is available if you can receive a referal from your doctor and be granted funding for the operation. More details about all the surgical weight loss NHS options and the application procedure are shown at the bottom of this page. There are other surgical weight loss alternatives to the gastric band such as the gastric bypass or the gastric balloon. Brief details and typical prices for these are given below.
Ideally it would be nice if we all had the option of free NHS treatment if we felt the need for gastric banding or other obesity surgery treatment. Unfortunately this isn't the case and if NHS funding is not readily forthcoming it may be an option to fund the operation privately, it is however quite expensive. One possibility to reduce the gastric band price which may be of interest to you is gastric band tourism , ie. travelling to Europe for instance for the surgery . For some reason Belgium seems to be a favoured place for gastric band and gastric bypass operations with the price being much lower than in the UK. The gastric band price will sometimes be half as much. But if you do decide to follow this route please do your homework very carefully. Check out the credentials of the clinic you are considering and ask about their after care service, and what they would do to put things right if something were to go wrong with the gastric banding operation.
Gastric weight loss surgery in the UK, typical prices (these are intended as a guideline only). Price abroad will usually be around two thirds of these prices.
Gastric Band price £5500
Gastric Bypass price £9000
Gastric Sleeve price £8000
Gastric Balloon price £5000
Duodenal Switchprice £10000
Gastric Band Hypnosis price £400
A brief description of these forms of weight loss surgery types is given below.
Gastric Band - possibly the most well known of the surgical weight loss options. The gastric band procedure is a keyhole operation in which a small adjustable band is fastened around the top of the stomach, causing a restriction which reduces the desire for food. It is a reversible operation, it is also an operation which can be tweaked over a period of time by filling or emptying the band to acheive the perfect setting for each individual.
Gastric Bypass - this is a larger operation than the gastric band and is non-reversible. Weight loss tends to be quicker with the gastric bypass than it is with the gastric band and in some cases the gastric bypass can be used as a treatment for certain forms of diabetes.
Gastric sleeve or sleeve gastrectomy - also non reversible. The gastric sleeve operation is usually only carried out on patients who are considered super obese. ie. with a BMI of 60 or above. It involves dividing the stomach into 2 parts.
Gastric Balloon - A non surgical option by which a balloon is fed into the stomach and then inflated. The gastric balloon operation is an effective means of acheiving weight loss but unfortunately is only short term as the balloon has to be removed after 6 months
Duodenal switch - Something of a combination between the gastric bypass and the gastric sleeve. The duodenal switch operation is perhaps the most effective surgical procedure in terms of weight loss, but it is a large and complicated procedure with some element of risk.
Gastric Band Hypnosis - May be worthy of consideration if you are an open minded person. Also known as the virtual gastric band it uses hpnotherapy to give the perception of having had a gastric band fitted.
Gastric Band
10 requirements to be considered for gastric banding or other weight loss surgery on the NHS.
1.You must be over 18 years of age to be considered for weight loss surgery.
2. You must have a BMI of 35 or over and possibly some other weight related health condition, although it is worth bearing in mind and reminding the powers that be that being overweight is a serious health condition in itself.
3. You must receive a referal from your doctor. Initially this will almost certainly be to see a dietitian with a recomendation to go on a weight management course of some description.
4. You must show a genuine commitment to weight loss. If your doctor asks you to see a dietition, please do so. If he asks you to go on a course, again heed his advice. It is important that you demonstrate that you are serious about weight loss and are not just interested in the perceived quick fix of a gastric band procedure. Once you are in the system and the options become available to you then it will be easier to steer your way towards the surgical weight loss option if none of the alternatives seem viable to you.
5. Have an open mind and the right attitude. You never know it is just possible that there is a better alternative for you than weight loss surgery.
6. Demonstrate your application to the procedure. You will be required to lose a percentage of you body weight through conventional dieting methods to prove that you are serious about weight loss. This will demonstrate that you will be willing to work with the gastric band should you have one fitted.
7. Do your research. It will further your cause if your doctor can see that you have gained a degree of knowledge about gastric weight loss operations. There are many excellent sources of information on the internet and beyond. Primary among these is BOSPA the British Obesity Patient Surgery Association which deals exclusively in weight loss surgery help and support. Also check out Gastric Bandstand (www.gastricbandstand.co.uk) for further information.
8. Show patience. The application process is long and arduous. The typical waiting list for a gastric band or similar procedure on the NHS is arround a year.
9. Keep positive. During the waiting time for a gastric band operation (assuming you manage to make your way onto the waiting list) you will be required to attend a number of courses, see a stream of dietitians be assessed and re-assessed and even then your funding for the operation is not guaranteed. All you can do is show patience and commitment and not give them any reason to reject your application.
10. Get as much support as you can from family and help groups.
