Just curious, How long does it take to get from 1st doctor visit to actual surgery? I have 90 min educational session on Monday and surgeon visit on June 16th. I have Chronic GERD, hiatal hernia and GERD asthma, so I'm hopeful my insurance will cover this. What are the Pre-Op steps one must take (I realize it can vary)? Would love to hear from you.

On 6/3/2023 at 3:00 PM, KD in CT said:

Just curious, How long does it take to get from 1st doctor visit to actual surgery? I have 90 min educational session on Monday and surgeon visit on June 16th. I have Chronic GERD, hiatal hernia and GERD asthma, so I'm hopeful my insurance will cover this. What are the Pre-Op steps one must take (I realize it can vary)? Would love to hear from you.

My first appt with surgeon was March 14th and I was just scheduled for Sept 5th. My hold up was being able to get into a support group which was the last step needed for surgery. I had to meet with a physical therapist, 2 meetings with nutritionist, initial blood work, an EGD, and the support group. Luckily my insurance doesn't require a set number of visits with my surgeon prior to surgery. Good luck with everything.

I had a year long wait due to Covid shut downs and pre-existing conditions that had to be resolved before surgery. It was worth the wait!

Mine was about two months. My insurance did not have any requirements. My surgeon had clearance requirements, such as my cardiologist, dietician, psychiatrist, and pulmonologist. My surgeon did my stomach x-ray, psych eval and Upper Endoscopy. I could have had my surgery sooner, but I was so shocked that it happened so quickly that I decided on a later surgery date. Scheduled for 8/2. Started my 10-day all-liquid diet yesterday.

Edited July 23, 20233 yr by KayEL

Six months almost to the day. My family doctor submitted me into the bariatric referral program here in Toronto the last week of February. I attended the virtual orientation session on March 7 and my surgery date is August 28. In between those dates, I've attended (either virtually or in person) meetings and consults with a nurse, psychiatrist, a social worker, the nutritionist, an internist, did a sleep study, met the surgeon, and had an endoscopy. It's actually moved quite quickly.

I am sure you already got an answer. It depends on howling your insurance makes you have a Dr. Supervised diet. That is what takes the longest.

Mine was 7 months. I didn't think it would EVER happen ! The last month - everything was rush rush and I was in surgery so fast,my head was spinning !

Mine was 56 days from my first appointment to surgery (yesterday). It really depends on the practice, their requirements and the requirements your insurance might have.

For my original sleeve surgery, it was 2 1/2 months from my 1st visit to surgery day. For my revision to bypass, it took longer because i had several procedures I had to do before I could be medically cleared to have the revision. But as far as insurance approval, from the day it was decided I needed the revision to the day the insurance approved it was just under 2 months.

So far it's been 13 months for me. I meet with the surgeon next week and will hopefully get a date soon. My 60th birthday is coming up in mid September, so I'm hoping to start the preop diet shortly after that. This is my birthday gift to myself.

On 7/23/2023 at 5:05 PM, KayEL said:

Mine was about two months. My insurance did not have any requirements. My surgeon had clearance requirements, such as my cardiologist, dietician, psychiatrist, and pulmonologist. My surgeon did my stomach x-ray, psych eval and Upper Endoscopy. I could have had my surgery sooner, but I was so shocked that it happened so quickly that I decided on a later surgery date. Scheduled for 8/2. Started my 10-day all-liquid diet yesterday.

Good luck!

Good luck with your surgery tomorrow.

Mine was 7 months I had some insurance problems and also the sleep apnea appt was a set back. Be patient because it is one lifestyle that will change your life forever.

I had my initial consult in October, and my surgery was done in December. My health insurance was going to switch on January 1st, and even though the new insurance would have also covered WLS, both myself and my surgeon thought it would be easier to just push everything through quickly and get it done under the 1st insurance. If I didn't have the insurance issue, it probably would have more like 3 months, but they bumped me up a month, which I loved of course!

Less than 3 months. The standard lose 14% preop, 3 visits with the nutritionists, one group session, labs, endoscopy, sleep study, one psychologist meeting and two surgeon visits ...next thing I know surgery day!

It would have been sooner, but insurance required 3 visits (one a month) with nutritionist).

Edited September 23, 20232 yr by BlondePatriotinCDA

they tell me about 4 months - insurance requirement. I do not have a surgery date as of yet but sometime in November. Have health issues is the main reason for the gastric sleeve. so far I have had a psych evaluation, 2 dietitians visits - useless in my mind. a endoscopy because of a hernia surgery 18 years ago, had to see the cardiologist because of the heart bypass I had 7 years ago, EKG and stress test just for his clearance. have 1 more appointment with my nephrologist because he will not clear me until there is a surgery date due to the fact, he doesn't like the fact I am cutting carbs and eating too much protein. I understand that because of the fact that I have stage 3 kidney Dease with only 1 kidney working. So, more labs a chat before he clears me. have to visit my endocrinologist because of my diabetes, have to make a plan to resolve the insulin resistance before surgery and then right after to check how my medications will need to be adjusted. Have to point out that all these doctors insist that surgery is no longer a choice but more of what is needed. my family also insist that I have surgery. Am hesitant about it to be totally honest. I feel that I do not overeat and have been on sugar free diet for 15 years now. But have tried and failed too many times on various diets never losing more that 15 lbs before hitting some kind of plateau and stall for weeks. So frustrating. I am going forward to have the sleeve. will post my progress as I know more.