Private Gastric Lap Banding in the UK
Posted on 21. Mar, 2009 by Jeffery Normski in Diet & Nutrition
Are you looking at having your gastric operation in the UK if so do you have the means to pay your own surgery fees? If so you may want consider going private. Going private for gastric surgery will cost around 4500-7500 depending on the individual surge
For a more complex surgery your surgeon may request you to be a private patient in the NHS hospital rather than in the local private hospital, due to the proximity to specialist care and services should you need them.
Before you have your gastric surgery you need ask your surgeon these questions:
Do the fees include pre-operational items such as blood tests, physician and dietician fees?
Any additional hospital costs required? What if after surgery you are required to say in hospital longer than what’s estimated?
Is Follow up treatment included? What period of care is covered? How many visits to the surgeon (and how many band fills is incurred?) What about the dietician? Does it include blood tests for RNY/BPD/DS patients? What if you need additional care?
Ask questions as your surgeon will be willing to explain in more detail, so any questions on gastric banding surgery.
Generally most patients will require more follow up sessions with the surgeon as you adjust the band to suit your weight loss. So where possible get more than the package for appointments with surgeon and dietician as you don’t want find you need to pay additional payments.
Its a pity but most of the UK private health insurance companies will not reimburse the costs of the gastric band surgery as they see obesity is a chronic condition. BOSPA is lobbying the private insurers to adopt a more enlightened approach – treating the obesity will more than likely reduce the likelihood of the insurer having to pay out for many other treatments over subsequent years.
Some patients chose to travel to France or other countries like Belgium for gastric lap band surgery which will be done privately because the basic costs of the operation are considerably lower. However, you may miss out on the follow up care services that UK surgery will provide. Many surgeons may actually refuse to see you even privately if you have had your gastric surgery done abroad.
Whichever route you choose to follow for your surgery, the most important aspect is the follow up care and typically that provided at specialist UK obesity surgery centres will undoubtedly be the best. Multidisciplinary teams of doctors will ensure that the correct attention is given to all aspects of follow up such as weight loss progress, diet, exercise and social aspects, as well as the correct functioning of the alterations made to your anatomy by the surgery. This quality of care should not be compromised by your seeking treatment privately.
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