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A gastric bypass surgery is a major surgery and therefore it is also not cheap in any way. The average gastric bypass procedure usually costs more than a new car and can range from $20,000 to $35,000. The good news is that assuming you qualify many insurance companies will pay for the price of the gastric bypass surgery even though it is elective.
In order to qualify for a gastric bypass surgery you have to be more than 100 pounds over weight which means you will need to have a body mass index of more than 40. You also have to prove that you have been in structured weight loss programs for the 6 month period prior to the scheduled surgery. On top of all of this you have to have been obese for at least 5 years and not suffering from alcoholism or psychiatric disorders.
On top of this $20,000 to $35,000 initial cost for the surgery you will have an increase in living costs brought on by your new lifestyle changes. Let’s face it; foods that people can eat after a gastric bypass are not cheap. The cheapest food is also the food that we can eat more of but also increase our weight the most. The costs associated with a gastric bypass surgery depends on the individual person since there will need to be many changes over the next couple months following the procedure. From clothes and furniture to food and exercise equipment, the costs do not stop when the surgery has been completed.
It is important to speak to a surgeon to find out more about what things will have to change in your life after completing the procedure as these lifestyle changes will help determine how much you new postoperative life will actually cost you. Learn as much as you can about the procedure as well as the risks associated with the procedure as these too may cost you more money down the road should you incur one. On top of the monetary costs, there are also the physical and emotional costs. A person who looses their weight rapidly not only looses that weight from fat cells but you will also loose muscle mass as well. Then you must keep in mind the frustration with only being able to eat a couple spoonfuls of food at every meal. There are a lot of costs associated with a gastric bypass, they are in the forms of money, physiology and psychology. |
