well as how to change and maintain their eating habits after the sur-
gery," says Dr. Cunneen. "We also have to make sure they have every-
thing in place in terms of post-operative support groups. We build that
into the cost of the procedure, because if we don't, they won't access
it."
The payoff
So what do surgical facilities have to gain? A gastric bypass might
bear a price tag of $27,000 to $40,000, while a gastric sleeve might run
$12,000 to $14,000. Depending on the procedure, a hospital's facility
and anesthesia fees could hit $10,000, says Dr. Ahmed, but the eco-
nomics change in a surgery center. Public and private payers remain
stingy on reimbursements in outpatient settings, meaning self-pay is
the law of the land.
"The costs can be managed much better in an outpatient setting,"
adds Dr. Cunneen. "You're talking about a couple thousand dollars for
equipment, a couple thousand dollars for other costs, so there's profit
for all involved."
Considering the size of the patient population, bariatric surgeons
believe they've hit only the tip of the iceberg. Right now, many patients
rely solely on less invasive interventions that inevitably fail to give
them the results they seek.
"People need to know all of their options and the risks of the individ-
ual procedures," says Dr. Stefanidis. "The success rate is less than 5%
with exercise and dieting, but there's an 80% success rate with bariatric
surgery, so there's an opportunity for some real transformation here."
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