What are the different types of WLS and how much do they cost (generally)
 

Just kind of curious as to what different types there are and their general prices. Thanks.

Hi Erica,

There are several types of surgery and the cost can be a mear deductable to tens of thousands self pay. It all depends on your insurance (if you have any).

There are many different types these days. I was watching a discovery channel the other day where in Italy they have this procedure where they insert a balloon into your stomach, fill it with a saline solution so that you eat less, then in 6 months they take it out. They do this in 10 minutes under general anesthesia, no cutting and the patient is woken up immediatly after... kinda like when they stick a scope down your throat for testing. I saw the procedure and its neet but it kinda freaked me out LOLOL.

Here are a few:
Gastric Restrictive Procedure – Vertical Banded Gastroplasty (VBG)
Malabsorptive Procedures - Biliopancreatic Diversion
Biliopancreatic Diversion (BPD )
Extended (Distal) Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass (RYGBP-E )
Biliopancreatic Diversion with "Duodenal Switch "
Combined Restrictive & Malabsorptive Procedure – Gastric Bypass Roux-en-Y
Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding


Sorry I can't give you costs.

There is a new-ish one that is gaining in popularity too called the gastric sleeve.

http://www.obesityteam.com/weight-lo...ns_Sleeve.html


There are a few people here that have had that proceedure and like it.

I had the RNY gastric bypass...love it!

http://drsimpson.net/07_surgery_stor...02/RNY/RNY.htm

As for cost...they vary. Open surgeries are more expencive then Lap. Here in ID, it ranges from 24,000 to 35,000 (again the higher numbers for the open procedures). I found one doctor here that did the Lap version for 12,000, if you are self pay.

Good luck to you,

Angela

The Duodenal Switch is actually also a combined restrictive and malabsorptive procedure. It is basically a Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy for the stomach and a distal bypass that keeps the pylorus intact.

You'll most commonly find banding (Lap Band, Realize Band), Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy, and Duodenal Switch, with the first two (RNY and band) being most common overall. Each procedure has different success statistics, and each is better for someone for different reasons (different levels of follow-up required, different levels of malabsorption, different levels of required additional nutrition supplementation, etc.).

Costs can be lower if you go to other countries for WLS if you are paying out-of-pocket. I know for the DS, it can be over $25k in the US for just the surgery, but in Mexico, Spain, and Brazil (where there are AMAZING DS surgeons), it can be much less, and that includes travel/hotel costs.

Please, don't forget that if you are concidering going out of the country for any kind of surgery, set up someone here for aftercare! There are many Drs. that won't do the follow up work afterward if there are complications etc., specifically after an out of country surgery...read the many post here about this subject. I feel that finding an accredited surgeon is the safer route.

I had RNY on 6/25. My cost was $25,566. The hospital stay was the most expensive and accounted for $15,000 of the cost. I went to a COE and had a great doc. The prices were within $2,000 of my cost for VGB and Lap Band.

Oh, I agree--if you're going out of country, you definitely need someone here to follow up with afterwards. I know with the DS, there are some surgeons here who actually trained with some of the best surgeons in the world (Mexico, Brazil, and Spain), and they are willing to work with you on after care. It absolutely is something that needs to be set up ahead of time, though.

Do LOTS of research on surgeons. I've even seen cases where people could have their surgery covered by insurance in the US but still opted to pay out-of-pocket and go out of coutry to have a better surgeon (more experienced, lower complication rates, etc.).