Anybody who is contemplating lap band surgery will probably have a list of questions and towards the top of that list is going to be the question of price. Sadly, though this might seem like an easy question, it is not all that simple to answer.

The price of having lap band weight loss surgery will depend upon a lot of different factors but the first thing you need to do is determine whether you qualify for surgery. Making up your mind that you need lap band surgery is all well and good but when it comes to paying for surgery whether or not you meet the requirements of the National Institutes of Health (NHI) is a crucial factor.

As a rule, if you have a BMI of 40 or more you will meet the NIH requirements. You can also qualify if your BMI is between 35 and 39 providing you also have a serious medical condition which is associated with your weight. The list of associated medical conditions is long but will include things like diabetes, high cholesterol or high blood pressure.

If you do not meet the NHI requirements then you will have to meet the full cost of lap band surgery yourself.

The next thing that you must determine is whether your health insurance plan will pay for some or all of the cost of your surgery. It is generally believed that insurers will not pay for weight loss surgery but this is not so and insurers are increasingly funding either some or all of the cost of lap band surgery. However, your health insurer will only fund the cost if you meet the requirements of the NIH and your doctor certifies that your surgery is a medical necessity.

Okay, so what is lap band surgery going to cost?

The price of lap band surgery is complicated as you have to factor in not merely the price of surgery itself but all of the associated costs which will vary widely according to where your surgery is performed and by whom. Costs will have to include things like pre-surgical tests, surgeon's fees and hospital fees. In addition, there will be a variety of post-surgery fees for services such as follow-up medical visits, nutritional counseling and psychological support.

When surgery is done in the US then you could reasonably expect it to cost anywhere between $17,000 and $30,000 for your surgery and post-surgical care providing you do not encounter any complications. Though major complications are not common they do crop up every now and again and costs may then increase considerably.

When surgery is done outside of the US then the price will be less and you could expect it to cost between $11,000 and $16,000. Lap band surgery has been performed for some considerably time in Australia and Europe where results have been very good and is also now being performed increasingly in countries such as Brazil, Canada, India, Mexico and the Far East.

If you are thinking about going overseas for weight loss surgery then you will have to include the cost of travel and post-operative recovery care which can add considerably to the overall cost but still be less expensive than having surgery at home. You also need to check with your health insurer if applicable because it is unlikely that your insurer will pay the cost of surgery that is carried out overseas. Finally, you must think about the fact that you might have considerably less legal protection should anything go wrong with surgery outside of your home country.

As a rule having your surgery at home is likely to be your best and safest choice but if the difference in price is large enough in your own case then you might well consider that it is worth the risk.