Cost of the operation | Stomach reduction

Cost of the operation

In obesity surgery (bariatric surgery) there are various methods of “shrinking” the stomach and thus achieving weight reduction. The costs are either borne by the health insurance company or are covered by the patient himself.

• Cost of a gastric balloon: The gastric balloon (itragastric balloon) is usually used in patients with a BMI between 28 and 44 (rarely also between 26 and 46).

  It is a non-invasive way of reducing the size of the stomach by filling a large volume of the balloon. The costs for the insertion of a gastric balloon are normally not covered by health insurance. Only in very rare cases, such as severe overweight (BMI obligatory over 40) and contraindication for an invasive procedure, will the health insurance company cover the costs of the intragastric balloon.

  The costs for such an operation are between 2500 and 4000 Euros. It is therefore worthwhile for self-payers to compare the prices of different doctors and clinics. It should be noted, however, that self-payers must also bear all other costs that arise, for example, as a result of complications.

• Cost of a gastric band: The gastric band is used in the surgical treatment of obesity when all conservative measures have failed.

  It is indicated for severely overweight patients with a BMI over 40, and patients with a BMI over 35 can also receive a gastric band if they also have other serious side effects such as diabetes. The costs are covered by the health insurance company if all necessary criteria are met from a medical point of view. If you have to pay for the procedure yourself (e.g. due to a lack of medical indication), all follow-up costs will also be covered.

  The costs for the gastric band are 5000 Euro upwards. Depending on the length of your stay in hospital and the amount of work involved in the operation, costs of up to 10,000 Euros may also be incurred.

• Costs of a gastric bypass: The costs of a gastric bypass in Germany vary between just under 6,000 to over 10,000 euros. As a self-payer, you should be aware that you will have to bear all further follow-up costs arising from longer hospital stays, complications or follow-up operations yourself.

  Gastric bypass is one of the established procedures in obesity surgery and can be covered by health insurance companies if the necessary criteria are met. The focus is on conservative weight reduction. However, if this cannot be achieved in cases of very high overweight (BMI over 40) or concomitant diseases such as diabetes mellitus (already over 35 with BMI), an application can be made to the health insurance company for a surgical procedure.

  The attending physician as well as your own health insurance company can advise you in more detail as to which criteria must be met.

• Cost of a stomach reduction: A stomach reduction in the sense of a tubular stomach operation is also one of the established procedures in obesity surgery. The stomach volume is surgically reduced by about 80%. The costs for a tubular stomach surgery in Germany amount to approximately 8000 Euros.

  There are individual differences, but the prices fluctuate around this amount.

A stomach reduction is a major surgical procedure, the cost of which is about 8000 Euros and more. In order for the statutory health insurance companies to cover the costs of the procedure, there are a number of conditions that must be met. First of all, the patient’s body weight must be taken into account.

The BMI must be at least 40. This means, for example, that a woman who is 175 cm tall weighs 123 kg. Such extreme overweight can normally not be controlled by dietary changes and exercise, and stomach surgery is the last resort.

If there are other obesity-related diseases besides overweight (e.g.B. diabetes mellitus or high blood pressure), health insurance will also pay for the procedure if the patient’s BMI is 35 or higher. For the costs to be successfully covered, a doctor must also certify that the patient has failed with all conventional methods of weight reduction, such as regular exercise and a change in diet, over a period of six to twelve months.

Furthermore, the patient must have attended a nutritional consultation. In addition, no serious addictions (drugs, alcohol), psychological illnesses (e.g. depression) or serious metabolic diseases may be present. Pregnant patients must not be operated on either. If these criteria are met, the health insurance company will cover the costs of stomach reduction for persons between 18 and 65 years of age.