Are you thinking of having bariatric surgery? If weight loss surgery is an option for you, then find out about the cost of surgery before you commit to the surgery. There are different forms of weight loss surgery available today ranging from malabsorption procedures such as biliopancreatic diversion to commonly performed mixed procedures such the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and the increasingly popular adjustable gastric banding, or lap band, restrictive operations.

Costs will of course vary widely and will depend on such things as where you choose to have your surgery and the surgical and follow-up team that will take care of you. As a very general guide, the cost of malabsorption or mixed surgery will start at around $25,000 while lap band surgery will come in at between about $15,000 and $18,000. These however are simply guides to the starting price of surgery and do not take into account any additional costs that may arise as a result of complications.

Complications vary from relatively minor inconvenience with little or no additional cost, to quite severe difficulties which may require a longer stay in hospital or re-admittance for further treatment or additional surgery. The chances of running into complications are also high and, even in the hands of an experienced surgical and after-care team, run at about 40% in the case of malabsorption or mixed surgery.

For malabsorption and mixed surgery patients who encounter problems within the first six months of surgery that do not require re-admission to hospital costs can be expected to rise on average to $36,000. In cases where re-admission is required for serious complications, the average cost of bariatric surgery reaches a staggering $65,000.

So, research the payment options available to you and whether the surgery fits your budget.