As you know, gastric band surgery is a form of weight loss surgery, or ‘bariatric surgery,’ used as a last resort treatment for people with potentially life-threatening obesity, when all other treatments, such as diet and exercise, have been unsuccessful.

Gastric banding involves surgery to place a band around the stomach, leaving a small pouch at the top of the stomach, which restricts the amount people eat, taking less time to fill and consequently feel full. Most people lose approximately half of their excess body weight within two years. The treatment is reversible and the band can be removed, if required.

Although gastric band surgery is often successful for aiding weight loss, as with all invasive surgery, there are potential risks and complications, including infection, blood clots, internal bleeding, gallstones, gastric band slippage and further surgery required to repair or adjust the band, if needed.

For this reason, most surgeons typically only perform gastric band surgery for those with a clinical need. For those with private health insurance, the typical out-of-pocket cost of the various surgical interventions, including pre-operative assessment and post-operative care in the first year, is in the region of $3,000-$5,000.