How long from your first appt. till you have surgery? I saw for some, it took 6 months...I'm really hoping I wont have to wait that long :thumbup:

I had my 1st appointment June 6th and had surgery Sept 30th, so 3 1/2 months. But I was denied by insurance and had to self pay.

When I decided who would be my surgeon I had my first visit with him it was May 2008. After all of the testing, getting a cpap machine, insurance approval, and emergency umbilical hernia repair I had surgery on January 9th 2009.

If you already have approval from your insurance company then the rest depends on your surgeon and what testing he/she requires.

Good Luck :thumbup:

I had my first appointment in the middle of June and I just had my surgery on 02/05/09, so a little over 7 months. I could have pushed it up a month or two because I got behind with some of my appointments and then I wanted to push the surgery out until February for work reason.

I went to a seminar on Oct 11,2008 and I was banded on January 14, 2009.

So it was only about 3 months, but I was self pay. I think it all depends on your insurance coverage and requirements.

Many insurance companies require a 6 month diet program before they will approve surgery. I went to my first doctor's appt. the week after Thanksgiving 2007 and had surgery Sept. 2008. So, 10 months in all. I had to push to get it even then and had to change surgeons because my original one was too busy and I didn't want to wait any longer. Both surgeons are general surgeons who do bariatric surgery.

Yes it depends on insurance and your surgeon. If you've already been approved for the surgery, then I wouldn't think you would have to wait too long. I was self pay. My first appointment was August 13th, 08 and my surgery was scheduled for September 12th, 08. Good luck to you!!! Let us know when you find out. Becky

My time to surgery is pretty much identical to bklyn1984. I went to the seminar in May of 08, went through blood work, testing (EKG, stress, etc.) and then had to go through 2 sleep studies. Everything was approved right after Thanksgiving and my surgery date was 1/22. I did hold it up some too - I couldve scheduled the sleep studies quicker, but certain times of the year my company does not allow days off -- so that did put me behind a little.

After my initial consultation I could have scheduled that day and had the surgery within 30 days. Im a cash patient and I knew that going in because I have strict restrictions on weight loss surgery through my insurance. So anyway....all I needed was time to see the nutritionist, blood work, EKG etc. I scheduled on Feb 3rd and my surgery is Feb 27th.

It was actually kinda scary to see it move that fast but exciting too!

My process was about 4 months. My surgeon is usually booked so I had my PCP appt in Sept. They put my first approval through insurance and that took about 3 weeks...then my seminar was almost a month later. I had all my nutritionist/psychologyst/pap and bloodwork done in that month. After seminar it took 3 weeks for my first appt. After that they submitted to insurance for final approval and I was approved in about a week. Surgery scheduled out to Jan. 12th (the earliest available was Jan 1st, but I needed 2 weeks notice to take the time off).

So, it took about 4 months total. I have blue cross and I was under the impression from the boards that I would have to do 6 months, but they did not require :thumbup: YAY!

The time actually went by really fast!

Hope it doesnt take too long for yours.

Are you self pay or insurance?

My process was about 4 months. My surgeon is usually booked so I had my PCP appt in Sept. They put my first approval through insurance and that took about 3 weeks...then my seminar was almost a month later. I had all my nutritionist/psychologyst/pap and bloodwork done in that month. After seminar it took 3 weeks for my first appt. After that they submitted to insurance for final approval and I was approved in about a week. Surgery scheduled out to Jan. 12th (the earliest available was Jan 1st, but I needed 2 weeks notice to take the time off).

So, it took about 4 months total. I have blue cross and I was under the impression from the boards that I would have to do 6 months, but they did not require YAY!

The time actually went by really fast!

Hope it doesnt take too long for yours.

Are you self pay or insurance?

Mine is insurance, and i also have blue cross. So...YAY!!!:smile: NO SIX MONTH DELAY!!!

My BCBS did not requre a 6-month diet and my surgeon didn't require me to lose a certain percentage of weight prior to surgery (just couldn't gain anything). I went to the seminar Nov. 1, and was approved February 5. I'm scheduled for surgery March 10, but could have had it in mid to late February - I just didn't have the time off I needed that early. So for me the process was approximately 4 months - pretty much what the surgeon said at the seminar.

Cash pay. I could have had my surgery just two weeks out from my initial consultation. I waited six weeks by choice due to other things going on in my life.

My first appointment with the surgeon was October 10, 2008. My surgery was November 11, 2008.

I hope it goes fast for you too! I was very please with the time it took. Imagine, if I had to do a 6month diet, I would still be dieting!

My March 13th date will take me nearly to the day one year. My insurance was great, my biggest wait time was the surgeons requirement to be smoke free for 6 months before we could do anything. Made me mad at the time but in retrospect I'm better off for it and didn't gain any additional weight during those six months.