How long was it for you guys from your first appointment to your surgery, and what sorta pre-testing did you have to have done? Thanks!

This is what I was wondering... I have been thinking of doing lapband!

I started in Nov(officially) was approved Janaury 4 2008 and my surgery is Feb 14

I attended my first seminar on Aug. 27, 2007 and had surgery on Dec. 26. It seems like the testing varies from state to state. Here in MA. I had to attend 2 support group meetings, have a psych. evaluation, nutrition eval., meet with the surgeon twice and the cardiologist once. Since I didn't have an co-morbs I didn't have to have a stress test or sleep study done. Again, it varies for everyone. You can always contact the bariatric coordinator in your area to find out the requirements.

Good Luck!

Jenn

I started in October and was banded in mid-December. I think from seminar to surgery was 2.5 months. For my surgeon I was fast tracked because my INS was changing Jan. 1.

Thanks for your replies! I sent all my paper work in just waiting for it to get approved through insurance and all that! Wish me luck!:hurray:

I went to my first seminar in Sept. Finally got ins approval last week.

It took lots of calls to the ins co!! I can't get a surgery date until all my test results go back to the Dr.

I started in May 2007...had to lose 10% of my weight, see psychologist, nutritionist, ultrasound on legs, sleep study, information seminars...plus, numerous other things. I was ready to go in August, but didn't have enough recovery time before school started, so I had surgery in Dec. '07.

hey all - I just got approved, after being denied by Aetna last November. My company switched providers and I'm now with BC/BS Premera - within 3 days of submitting my claim, I was approved, no hassle and scheduled for banding on Mar 18th. A day late, but, calling it my Irish Weight Loss program!!!:wink2:

I went to my seminar in Sept, had all my consultations and testing done October 3 - and found out that day I had to be smoke free for two months before he would operate - got approved about the 21st of October, and had surgery Dec. 3. If it hadn't been for the smoking, I'd have been done in November.

Do you mean for a self-pay or for insurance? Because the wait can vary GREATLY depending on who your insurer is. But I was self-pay. I had my pre-op appointment on October 18th where I saw the nutritionist, the social worker (psych consult), the surgeon, and the nurse practitioner. I scheduled my surgery at that appointment for November 15th. Between October and November I had a nutrition class and a blood draw.

11 months. I had my first 2 group information meetings last February. I got to meet with the dr. in March; I was banded 2 weeks ago.