Forerunners Healthcare is very famous in India. I read a lot about them in the Newspapers and magazines. I have read a lot of their patient stories also. They arrange financing for USA, Canadian, UK and other international patients who plan to have surgery abroad for low cost, as bariatric surgery and weight loss surgery is not covered by insurance. They also have photos pasted of their International patients. You can checkout their website. There are huge cost savings. As a doctor I personally believe that your Obesity surgery can be easily handled in India, as the quality of healthcare available In India is simply best in the world. The surgeons are USA/UK trained and facilities are 5 star.

Hope this helps.

This device is implanted around the top portion of the stomach and is connected to a small port under the skin of the abdomen. It works by creating a small “pouch” of stomach which rapidly fills when a person eats a small amount of food. The sensation of fullness or satiety is then achieved and maintained much longer than normal because the band causes the “pouch” to very slowly empty. The “tightness” of the band is adjustable, which is an tremendous benefit to this approach. After surgery, patients have frequent adjustments of the band during the first 12 to 18 months; these adjustments are done in the office or in the xray department.

This device promises to revolutionize bariatric surgery because it has proven to be much safer than any other surgery for obesity. Furthermore, it is implanted laparoscopically and patients go home after usually one night in the hospital. And finally, it does not alter the intestinal anatomy and can easily be removed laparoscopically if necessary.

The Lap-Band System® can only be used by surgeons who have been certified through special training with the manufacturer, BioEnterics Corporation. Currently, there are only about 70 such surgeons in the U.S., and only two in Texas.

At South Texas Bariatrics, Dr. Free has been certified to implant the Lap-Band® and provide followup care. He received his training from Dr. Paul O’Brien and Dr. George Fielding, both from Australia, who together have the largest series of Lap-Band® patients and the best long-term outcomes in the world. He received additional training from Dr. Franco Favretti, from Italy, who helped to develop the Lap-Band® and has trained many surgeons world-wide.

Dr. Free has been performing this surgery since July 2001 and his patients have had good success to date with most patients losing 20 to 30 pounds before the first adjustment.