Hi I am going to my first orentation tomorrow evening. Just wondering how long from start to finish did it take to get your operation date. I know it different for everyone, just wanted to get a general idea. Thanks in advance Lois

This depends on a whole bunch of different variables. The biggest being which insurance company you have or whether you are paying cash.

It will be less than 5 months for me from start to finish because my insurance company required 3 months supervised dieting.

Use the wait time wisely and do as much research as possible. Too many people think that the lapband is a magic pill. It takes work. The wait give you time to decide if you are ready to change your lifestyle and eating habits for the rest of your life.

13 months, but that's mainly because I didn't exactly meet the insurance company's criteria (because my BMI went below 35 two years ago on WW). After my first denial, I thought I'd just wait it out until 2010 (then my 2007 weight wouldn't matter anymore). But, later in the year, I got diagnosed w/more comorbid conditions and decided to fight the denial. I did two appeals and they went pretty fast once I decided to do them.

:thumbup:Started 6/19/2009 and will be banded 1/5/10 .. it's a process and all worth it... you go thru several task's dieticians, pshcyologist visit's general md's and blood work ultra sounds and x'rays. I suggest taking one day off per month and knock them down. Thay way you don't kill your self with co-pays and bills. During this time your motovation will be your deitican visits and your dreams you have at night.

My consultation appointment was on November 9 2009 and I will get banded on January 8 2010. It was frustrating at times because I am on a tight timeline, I work at a tax and accounting office and didnt want to get to have to wait until May to get banded.

I did the pre-op diet for 6 months with my primary doctor before I went to the seminar. I went to the seminar in November '09 and my surgery date is on 1/11/10. My insurance approved it the first try. I would have had a sooner surgery date, but my insurance group faxed the paperwork to the wrong insurance company and it set me back 3 weeks.

I have great insurance and was very lucky-from seminar to surgery was three months.

My journey started on 8/24/2009 with a visit to my regular primary care doctor. I met my surgeon on 9/3 and my surgery is scheduled for January 26th!! So it was a smidge over 5 months for me!

1st visit was on 10/10/08 and i was banded 2/4/08 so a few months for sure!

10 months from seminar until surgery date. It took an extra 3 months because we switched to DH's insurance in order to get the surgery covered.

went to the seminar on 10/4/09 my surgery is scheduled for 2/9

no hoops to jump thru with my insurance

My surgeon's introductory seminar was the first week of July, I saw my surgeon for the first time on July 21 (which started the 3-month insurance clock ticking), got my date in early December, and I'll get my band next week.

Seminar Oct. 27, surgery Dec. 16, but I'd been considering it and researching it for years before I decided I could afford it and take the time to focus on me right now (insurance pays a flat $4000 the rest was self pay....single mom, work full time, blah blah blah, all kinds of excuses for putting it off) but once I actually jumped in the pool things went fairly quickly. WISH I'D DONE IT YEARS AGO!!!!!

i went to the seminar today and have an appointment with my pcm (i'm tricare prime) to get a referral to my lapband doc next week. the doc said that tricare goes fast and i can have the surgery in as little as three weeks from the date of my consultation. i have a friend who had it done using tricare prime as well and hers took about one month from consultation date to band date. i hope all goes well with mine. if it does i could be getting banded next month! yay!

Six weeks.

I took several weeks to interview the various bariatric doctors by going to their seminar. I didn't much care for them until the last one.

I called up and they got me into a seminar they were having that day, even though it was technically 'filled', because I said I really wanted to move forward without delay.

I have BCBS of MI and they don't require any of the BS that so many insurance companies do, just the psych eval. That actually took the longest...2 weeks...to get into a shrink for the eval. She had the report to them next day and they scheduled the surgery for 4 weeks later...again because I 'pushed' for it.

I'm not a sit back and let things happen kind of gal. When I want something, I go after it. Same with my fills.

That was actually one of the major points I looked at when choosing a doctor. Do they do fills according to some arbitrary schedule...or do they see me as an individual and will give fills as I need them.

Now 9 weeks postop I am deliriously happy with the bariatric center I chose *and* have been at my sweet stop for a week...instead of the hell some people are still in 3 months after surgery.

.

I first attended a siminar the first of Sept., suegery will be JAN. 22.