Average Cost of Lap Band Surgery

By Brandon Cornett
© 2011 All rights reserved

Welcome to The Average Cost of Things, where we help you put prices into perspective. Today, we are going to discuss the average cost of a Lap Band surgery in the United States.

Each year, thousands of Americans choose surgery as a weight loss option. Of the many types of procedures available, the Lap Band is one of the most popular. The full name for the procedure is laparoscopic adjustable gastric band, but it's more commonly referred to by the brand name: LAP-BAND®. This device is manufactured by Allergan, Inc.

When considering such a procedure, the first thing most people want to know is: How much does a Lap Band surgery cost these days? We will do our best to answer that question in this article. Here's what we dug up about the average cost of this weight-loss procedure.

Lap Band Costs in the U.S.

First, I'd like to point out that there are actually two FDA-approved gastric banding devices in the United States. They essentially work the same way and strive to achieve the same results, but they are made by different companies. We have talked about the Lap Band already. The second device is called the Realize Band, and it's made by a Johnson and Johnson company called Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. We will focus on the average cost of a Lap Band surgery in this article, but we wanted you to know there are two similar surgeries available in the U.S.

On to the subject at hand. From what we have gathered, via the research process outlined below, the average cost of a Lap Band procedure is $20,500. The price you pay will vary based on several factors, such as your location and the surgeon's experience. But this is the nearest we could come to a true average. (Side note: The median price of a gym membership is about $750 a year, for what it's worth.)

Price Research for This Article

To determine the average cost of Lap Band surgery, we visited a handful of information websites relating to bariatric weight-loss surgery. As much as possible, we found articles that were medically reviewed by doctors. We visited the official website for the LAP-BAND® System, which stated a range of $12,000 - $25,000 (as of November 2009).

An article by UCSD Medical Center was also very helpful. The article (entitled "The Cost of LAP BAND Surgery and Your Payment Options") cited an average price of $18,466. But the article did not have a publication date, so we do not know how current it was.

We also visited some web forums were patients can share their surgery experiences with one another. Much of the discussion there was related to the cost of surgery, so we factored in this anecdotal data to come up with our final number.

Risks of Lap Band Surgery

In closing, we would like to point out that every surgical procedure has risks, and that goes for the Lap Band as well. According to the FDA: "Most patients experienced at least one side effect. Common side effects include nausea and vomiting, heartburn, abdominal pain, and slippage of the band."

Medical Disclaimer: This article is not meant to take the place of medical advice. Our purpose was to present information and data relating to the average cost of Lap Band surgeries in the U.S. We are not, however, making any statements for or against such surgery.