What determines gastric sleeve surgery prices around Europe?

Gastric sleeve surgery is the most sought-after type of bariatric surgery in the world, famous for its long practice and high success rates. This article seeks to take a glance at gastric sleeve surgery prices across Europe and explain what influences these numbers.

Numbers first: costs of gastric sleeve surgery

In the UK, the medium price of gastric sleeve surgery is £10000, with the lowest at £8000 and the highest at £13 000, whereas gastric sleeve cost in Scotland is around £12 500 and often higher.

Gastric sleeve cost abroad is as follows:

Belgium £5000-6600 (+ several extra charges, which may include transportation, hotel, health analysis, etc.)

Poland £3600 (+ several extra charges)

Latvia £5500, in Weight Loss Riga the all-inclusive gastric sleeve package costs £4980.

Three most important cost components

These three make up the general three most important components that sum up the gastric sleeve surgery prices:

Location of the facility (country and city) – different countries have very different economical statuses, which influence pay rates, costs of technique, facilities, etc. Facilities in bigger cities may suffer from higher rent but also be more accessible and hence save on logistics.

The reputation of facility and staff – clinics with high success rates and supporting customer reviews allow them to charge more, which also means they can afford better pay for their staff and newest equipment while those less known may have to try and bring in clients by lowering their prices as much as they can.

Qualifications and experience of the surgeon and their success rate – success rates in numbers, double-digit years of experience, and client feedback sells in trust.

Base cost components

Gastric sleeve surgery abroad prices consist of the same base components as any other operation, which are:

• Operating room costs
• Medical device costs
• Personnel (surgeon, nurse, anaesthesiologist, etc) salaries
• Re-usable instrument costs
• Disposable/consumable (sutures etc.) instruments
• Overhead costs

Where does the lower cost come from

First of all, lower gastric sleeve surgery prices do not necessarily mean lower quality service, yesterday’s technology, or malpractice. Although there have been historical cases and despite there always being a need to check the reputations and practices of a bariatric clinic, in modern days the quality of bariatric surgery abroad is just as good as in one’s own country if not higher.

Reasons for lower gastric sleeve surgery costs derive mainly from:

• Level of the economy; lower cost of living in the destination country.
• Lower expenses for office rental and staff, costs of maintaining the clinic, and salaries are relatively low(er)
• Benefits from EU programs
• Medical tourism packages help save money for both you and the clinic.

Summary

In summary, the varying gastric sleeve costs throughout Europe mainly derive from the location (both country and city) of the clinic, the level of economy of the country, the reputation of the clinic, its surgeon(s), and the patient reviews available. When comparing prices it is also smart to check whether the cost is all-inclusive or non-inclusive.