Dr. Schulman

Nutrition testing is important for PS. This will give an indication of how well your body will heal after the procedure. Nutritional deficiencies are much more common after other types of bariatric surgery (gastric bypass, duodenal switch). Testing just requires basic lab tests which are very standard.
I am suprised that you will have to pay out-of-pocket for this bloodwork. Generally, my patient's insurance covers bloodwork (even if it is for a cosmetic procedure). You may have to go to a laboratory that participates with your insurance, or have your primary doctor draw the labs for you.
Another thing you should all be aware of...when the skin is removed, it must be sent to pathology. This is a law (and might vary between states). This allows the pathologists to examine the tissue and make sure there is nothing unusual...and is extremely important with breast surgery. You will likely get another bill from the pathologist and it may be around $100-$200 per specimen. This should also be covered by your insurance as long as the pathologist participates (even for cosmetic surgery).
Again, some of these rules may vary state-to-state, and you should check with your insurance carrier.

I think you should be prepared to be out of work for 2 weeks. It maybe slightly less, but you have to see how you feel. There will be little discomfort after the first few days - actually, most people find beast reduction surgery quite tolerable.
The thing to keep in mind is that your body uses a lot of energy to heal the wounds, so even if you don't have pain, you will feel tired for several weeks.
Many of my patients with a desk job go back to work after 1 week, but it all depends on your situation and yor recovery. I would advise you to ask for 2 weeks, knowing that you may return sooner.
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