geon ' s ▁fee , ▁surg ical ▁assistant ▁fee , ▁hospital / oper ating ▁room ▁fee , ▁an est h esi ologist ▁fee ▁and ▁the ▁device ▁fee ▁for ▁the ▁g astr ic ▁band ▁itself ). ▁Some ▁practices ▁also ▁bundle ▁a ▁set ▁duration ▁of ▁post - oper ative ▁follow - up ▁vis its ▁for ▁filling ▁and ▁un fill ing ▁the ▁g astr ic ▁band ▁as ▁necessary ▁( e . g ., ▁as ▁many ▁fills / un fill s ▁as ▁necessary ▁for ▁anywhere ▁from ▁ 3 ▁to ▁ 1 3 ▁months ▁following ▁surg ery , ▁depending ▁on ▁the ▁practice ), ▁which ▁as ▁a ▁stand - alone ▁service ▁cost ▁between ▁$ 1 5 ▁and ▁$ 3 0 0 ▁per ▁office ▁visit . ▁Most ▁practices ▁do ▁not ▁include ▁within ▁their ▁quoted ▁fe es ▁the ▁cost ▁of ▁pre - oper ative ▁care ▁and ▁testing ▁or ▁any ▁potential ▁comp lications ▁that ▁may ▁arise . ▁ ▁History ▁and ▁development ▁of ▁g astr ic ▁band ing ▁ ▁Non - ad just able ▁bands ▁At ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s , ▁Wil kin son ▁developed ▁several ▁surg ical ▁approaches ▁whose ▁common ▁aim ▁was ▁to ▁limit ▁food ▁int ake ▁without ▁dis rupt ing ▁the ▁continu ity ▁of ▁the ▁g astro - int est inal ▁tract . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 8 ▁Wil kin son ▁and ▁Pel oso ▁were ▁the ▁first ▁to ▁place , ▁by ▁open ▁procedure , ▁a ▁non - ad just able ▁band ▁( 2   cm ▁Mar lex ▁mesh ) ▁around ▁the ▁upper ▁part