Lap band surgery offers hope to people slogging out hard to vanquish obesity, only to find their efforts not reaping any results. Those  looking for surgery that would fit their budgets can consider lap band in Belgium, where it is available at a fraction of the prices charged in other parts of Europe.

A Peep into Lap Band Surgery

• Lap band surgery, alternatively known as laparoscopic gastric banding, makes the stomach pouch smaller by wrapping a lap band (a small silicone ring-like device), along the upper portion of the stomach.
• Attached to the lap band is a narrow tube which leads to an access port embedded in the skin.
• This access port is used by the bariatric surgeon to inject or remove saline to either tighten the band or loosen it.
• WebMD, a premium medical resource, states that postoperative patients can experience weight loss even three years after getting their lap bands.

Why is Getting Lap Band in Belgium Popular?

• Huge savings: In the UK, you may have to shell out astoundingly large sums of money for the adjustable gastric band, whereas the same procedure can be done for only a fraction of the price in Belgium. The savings resulting from low cost lap band in Belgium do not come at the cost of quality. It is actually quite the contrary.
• Quality: Belgium has carved a niche for itself as a destination for quality and affordable weight loss surgery. True, many countries in the world offer obesity surgery, but not all of them can claim the same level of experience and success rate as Belgium. And laparoscopy, in fact, is one of the areas of expertise of Belgium’s state of the art hospitals. Wherever possible, gastric band in Belgium is done laparoscopically (unless technically impossible) and as this means a very short stay in hospital, the patients find this a great choice.

Add to this the fact that Belgian hospitals are sticklers for high hygiene standards and use the latest technology. Recently, the World Markets Research Center put Belgium on top of a list of175 countries on ratings done for medical purposes, one of the ratings being secondary infection or Staph rates. Belgium’s secondary infection rate was found to be on an average less than 0.5% compared with 10% in the UK.
There are many reasons why Belgium has achieved such surgical expertise, one of them being the quality of training given to its doctors. Belgian doctors are trained for a minimum of seven years; for specialists it is 12 years.

• Follow-up feature: Oftentimes, people hesitate to go for medical treatments abroad as they are concerned about follow-up. However, that need not worry you when it comes to medical tourism in Belgium, as many Belgian doctors do offer follow-up checks through their network in the UK and Ireland. So, check if your doctor or hospital in Belgium offers such a service.
• No need to wait: Anyone who has experienced it will know how traumatizing a wait it can be at the NHS. But why wait, when there’s an easier, quicker option available close by? For your lap band surgery in Belgium, you are the one who sets your date of getting operated as per your convenience, after initial tests are done. As simple as that.
• It’s pretty much next door: You don’t have to have elaborate travel plans to go to Belgium, with so many options available. You can fly, drive down or take a train. Eurostar offers you quick and convenient train service from London (all tickets from London allow you free onward travel in Belgium). Major European highways like the E-19, E-17, E-40, E-411 and E-313 pass through Belgium. You can also get to Belgium from all over Europe on Eurolines coaches. So traveling back for lap band revision in Belgium, if required, should not be a herculean task.
• Familiar climate and language: The climate is not too different from that of the UK: the summers are a bit hotter and winters, well, a bit colder. Dutch, French, and German are the official languages but a lot of young people do speak English too. Hence, there won’t be any major communication problems during your stay for lap band in Belgium.

So, as you can see, laparoscopic lap band in Belgium is one of the popular choices with medical tourists from the UK not only because it is affordable but also because it is very convenient.