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Edited May 25, 201610 yr by byehoes

My process sounds quite different than yours, I'm going through a large hospital though with three bariatric doctors on staff, not to mention numerous residents. I attented the orientation (which was free), where various areas were discussed. A bariatric resident spoke on the different WLS and processes, although with one of the bariatric nurses. They had a basic overview of expectations, what we can/can't eat (or drink, aka no alcohol); hair loss, etc.... We had the insurance gal do a basic overview and requirements for "most" companies.

Next was to schedule an appointment with the surgeon you want. That appointment was crazy. They took my vitals and weight, a resident took my history as well as provided me with all my labs, and numerous other tests orders I would need. The nurse went over the requirements for pre surgery. The doctor came in for about 5 minutes and briefy spoke with me;looked at my history, informed me he'd also be removing my gallbladder. Poof he was gone. Overall, I was with his staff probably about 45 min to an hour.

The next day, I did the required Nutrition group class (not covered by insurance - but covers all monthly visits with the NUT post surgery) This class was four hours, really good, discussed pre and post op menus, .food labels,

I have a Primary Care Physician who provided a Letter of Medical necessity and has monitored my diet/s since 2008 on and off. So any physical I've had is with him. While the WLS surgeon requires numerous labs test, chest xray, and endoscopy - he does not have me scheduled for any type of "Physical".

So......if you have never had a physical, does that mean that you have never been to a doctor or hospital or had any kind of surgery at all?

My physical exam involved blood pressure, heart rate, weight, height, measurements of neck, upper arm, bust, waist, hips, thigh, calf and ankles. There were questions about my medical history, family medical history, and why surgery - why now?

I did the original orientation online. The first visit I met with the bariatrician and nutritionist. On the second visit I met with the surgeon and the psychologist.

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Edited May 25, 201610 yr by byehoes

My initial meeting was a large group informational session. From there I scheduled a time to first meet with the surgeon, dietitian, and physical therapist. The first meeting covered the various options for weight loss surgery and discussing my best option for sustained weight loss. The physical primarily consisted of vital signs and general exam.

The dietitian went over the pre-op diet and changes to make before surgery, but advised I wouldn't deal much with her until closer to my surgery date. Physical Therapy came to make sure I was healthy enough to perform the 13-wk pre op activity program my insurance program required (gym 3x wkly, 30 min sessions).

Each surgeon is different and will also be different depending on what your insurance may require in the interim. When I was almost finished with my 13 wks I was able to schedule a pre-op diet, phone consultation with nutritionist, and get pre-op lab, EKG, etc.