Photo by Musab Al Rawahi on Unsplash
Both Turkey and Latvia are very popular destinations for bariatric tourism – and for good reasons – the operations in both countries are a lot more affordable than in many other countries, either in Europe or in wider world.
In this article, we will be talking about gastric band surgery and look into how much does a gastric band cost in these two countries. We also seek to give you a little bit of advice when it comes to gastric band in general.
Gastric band cost abroad – a wide variety of prices
Gastric band surgery in UK costs about £6500. Now, let us take a look at gastric band surgery abroad and some of the prices there:
Turkey £3500-4250 (may vary greatly between different clinics)
Poland £2100 (+ any possible extras*)
Belgium £3200 (+ any possible extras)
Latvia £3500-4000 (usually all-inclusive packages)
*Extras may include hotel, pre-operation analysis, transportation from the airport to the clinic etc.
How much does a gastric band cost in Turkey?
So, as mentioned above, the price for gastric band in Turkey falls between £3500-5100. One of the big reasons for these cheap prices is the value of Turkish lira, which has declined drastically in past years.
There are 27 accredited health centres in Turkey, which are well controlled by law, have the newest technology, and can therefore offer high quality procedures customized to your needs and preferences.
Since most of these clinics reside in grand cities such as Alanya, Antalaya and Istanbul, the companies providing medical tourism to Turkey speak of opportunities to have a mini holiday there, especially before the surgery.
However, there is also the case of long and often costly flight to a country very different from the UK both by climate and culture. It is also worth to note that prices for bariatric surgery vary greatly between different clinics.
How much does a gastric band cost in Latvia?
The medium gastric band cost in Latvia also falls between £3500-4000.
However, it is important to let you know that due to high failure rates, gastric band is no longer sanctioned by Latvia’s health authorities and NOT performed by Weight Loss Riga.
Why is gastric band falling out of fashion?
Main reasons for this include increased risk of band slipping, becoming infected. Also, increased number of follow up appointments to have band adjusted.
Weight Loss Riga clinic offers three much safer alternatives which have much fewer do-overs and provide a much more significant weight loss:
- Gastric bypass
- Gastric sleeve
- Mini gastric bypass
Summary
In conclusion, while affordable priced options exist in Turkey and several other countries, we ask you to consider other, safer, and more profitable options instead of gastric band. The medical “market” is rapidly evolving and there are better and much safer operations available, three of them in our clinic.
And as ever, with any questions, do not hesitate to contact us via our homepage!
