Will be meeting my doc this week to get the ball rolling towards surgery. I have various co-morbidities and BMI 51. Insurance will approve surgery if done at a center of excellence.

But my question is: How long from beginning to surgery does the process run? I mean, once I ask my doctor about the surgery, what do patients need to do? Is there some kind of waiting period, or trial of diet and exercise? Just curious.

Some insurance companies require a 6 month supervised diet. Mine did not require that. I first saw my surgeon the first week of June and I was banded 2 days ago.

Good Luck!!

Will be meeting my doc this week to get the ball rolling towards surgery. I have various co-morbidities and BMI 51. Insurance will approve surgery if done at a center of excellence.

Since you used the phrase "Center of Excellence" I am guessing you have CIGNA insurance. They will require 6 months of Dr visits (once a month trip to the doc with a form that s/he fills out stating your current attempts etc) After that a Letter of Medical Necessity, a Psych visit, probably a nutrion class visit both of which can be done normally while you are waiting to finish the 6 months of Dr visits. After that you should be set. Now if you have been on weightwatchers or any other properlly monitered program like that for over 6 months you can sometimes submit that info instead of the DR visits and they will review but most times they want that 6 months of visits.

Its going to depend on what your insurance company requires. Mine required a 6 month supervised diet before we could submit for approval. I was approved towards the end of June and I had my surgery on August 4th because we were goign to be going out of town and it was already planned- I didnt want to be driving for 2 days just fresh out of surgery. I did have to do a 2 week preop diet but I was able to do that while on vacation and I had my surgery 3 days after we got back!

As others have said -- So much depends on what your insurance requires. And, different surgeons have different requirements for their patients. The best thing to do is to talk over all of this with your doctor when you see him. Have you been to an informational seminar yet? Almost everyone requires that, and the surgeon or his representative should give you more information about requirements and wait times at the seminar.

You said you were going to see your doc to get the ball rolling -- the surgeon or your PCP?

'get the balling rolling'=

I haven't even considered this treatment before. So will be discussing it for the first time with my endocrinologist. Apparently they give the referral to surgeons, I don't know if I could get it through my PCP, but will try when I go in on Wednesday.

Just been really tough lately, guess we've all been through it. Done lots of WW, and had great short-term success. Have been having lots of issues with osteoarthritis and sleep issues with OSA. Have a CPAP btw. I just need more energy and stamina. Feels like I have the will, but have undermined myself along the way numerous times.

My guess is that with my BMI so high there won't be many pre-surgical requirements. But I need to call my ins to find out.

Hi. As mentioned your insurance rules will determine what kind of hoops you have to go through as well as your doctors protocol. Between my insurnance and doctor I had: a seminar (that explained the surgery but I had already researched that), First appointment 3 hours (Nurse Practitioner, Psychologist, Nutritionist), 2nd meeting Nurse Practitioner, 2 nd meeting Nut, 4 Group sessions with Psychologist regarding eating habbits and coping strategies, 1 st meeting with surgeon, 3rd meeting with Nut, 2 nd meeting with surgeon, Pre Op blood work, EKG, Class to discuss surgery (sign release forms) and Class on how to eat for the first month after surgery, and letters of release from my Hemotologist (I had a blood clot last year).

Thanks everyone. I was reading today that the process at Mayo takes 3-6 months and that the psych eval is probably the longest part of the process. Ins covers, and am hopeful to the things going this week. Maybe a nice Christmas gift to myself, my wife and kids.