Hello, I want to a seminar July 9, received insurance approval July 25, but do not meet with my surgeon until August 24. How much longer can I expect to wait to be banded? Having made the decision, I am ready to make this life long change and want to get going. Thank you , Abqann

I am so there with you! How did u find out they approved you already without a surgeons recommendation or evaluation yet!?

I am so ready to get this on the road! It's frustrating waiting isn't it !!!!

It depends on when the doctor and hospital can fit you into their schedules. For me it was about 3 1/2 weeks.

I am so there with you! How did u find out they approved you already without a surgeons recommendation or evaluation yet!?

I am so ready to get this on the road! It's frustrating waiting isn't it !!!!

At the seminar we filled out all ft the medical forms and the Dr office contacted the insurance complay. I am assuming that the "approval" is dependant on meeting the surgeon recommendation.

My info is in my sig, but I was (supposedly) fast-tracked after seeing the GI doc. I needed to be banded before the end of the month in July due to scheduling conflicts.

So that was my question.... how did you get approved with out the surgeon? Went to the seminar in July, first dr. appt in Aug, did all my other dr. visits..... cardiovascular, sleep study, Dietitian , psych eval., etc.... then went back to my surgeon he compiled all the info and results from all the test and sent to insurance for approval. I was fortunate that my insurance approved me first time out.

I could be wrong, but i would think the approval is to see the surgeon.

Anyway, from seminar to surg. day.... four months. Banded 11/10/09

i would also encourage you to do plenty of research on the band. All the good and the bad.... it's a commitment not a lot of people can deal with, physically and emotionally.....

Good luck .....

Oh gosh...i felt the same thing when I first started.

For me...it took around 3 weeks from my initial consultation to my surgery. But I spent about 2 months prior to that just researching, reading, and attending seminars with various surgeons.

Now I'm 2 months post surgery...and it all went by so fast.

4 weeks.

My Dr told me today, it will be at least 3 months.... Ok so I'm aiming for 11-11-11!

Well, I did the seminar in March and had surgery in May, but my surgeon doesn't meet with you until you have all of your pre-op stuff done, so from pre-op appts/clearance to surgery it was 3 weeks.

Inital seminar April 6, Banded July 29. I could have been banded July 8 but I choose the later date. Good Luck with ur process!

I also went to my 1st seminar in June 1st, I got approved June 20th, meet with the Dr on Aug 4th!

that was so quick with most of you! I went to the seminar in Feb and was banded 5/23.Had a lot of running to do. With low vitamin levels and scans. But finally was all cleared. Just got my first fill today so i'm on a liquid diet for today. smh.. lol I don't even know how i did it first time around.

I'm looking forward to my consultation with the doctor on Thursday! Woo hoo!!!!

mine was about 5 weeks

Wow! you were all approved/banded so quickly! It was 10 months for me. My insurance required a 6 month Dr. supervised diet before I would be considered and then they too their sweet a$$ time approving me. Started my process Sept. 2010 and banded on July 28th 2011.