I am wondering what is the normal time frame before the seminar you attend before seeing the surgeon and the actual surgery date. I have done the seminar, seen the surgeon, have 2 different appoints in June, 1 with the nutritionist and the other with a nurse in the surgeon's office. I still haven't heard from the psy. about setting up the sessions with them. So all things considered, maybe a Sept. surgery date?

Thanks for any infor:confused:

Ugh, I'm right behind you. Feels like it's taking forever, lol.

I've gone to the seminar. I have an appointment with the surgeon next week. I have an appointment with my Endocrinologist June 30th (to get a note from him & weight history). After that I meet with the nutritionist (we set an appointment after I meet with the surgeon). Then I still have to meet with a psychologist, although I have no idea who I'm going to go to. Need to find that out.

But we can't even submit my paperwork to the insurance company until at least next month. :grouphug:

My paperwork doesn't go to the insurance company until I meet with the nutr. a few times and the psy. a few times, loose 10% of my weight and then they send it...boy what a drag:thumbdown:

From referral from my pcm (feb 5 09) to approval from insurance (June 5 09) so it was 4 months and my surgery is scheduled for June 19th...not to long if you dont have to do a required diet or anything

I had my preliminary seminar in August 2007. Met with doctor in September. Did all the required preop appointments in October. And I'm still waiting for insurance approval. A decision is due by June 19, but I'm not holding my breath.

The point is, the length of time you wait depends on your doctor and insurance.

Our "Team of Experts" here in Portsmouth, NH requires .... Initial group seminar. Fill in paper work. Meet with RN a few weeks later and she tells you to loose 10% of body weight. Diet ...Meet with RN again, go see Shrink one on one and then once a week for 5 weeks with a small group. Meet the nutritionist twice, go to physical therapy twice. THEN .... if you have met all the requirements you finally get to see the surgeon. Go for an upper GI testing, EKG, chest x-ray and tons of blood work (that is where I am). Then it gets insurance approval, meet with surgeon again and get surgery date. I bet in a few years this procedure will be so common that all these hoops you have to jump through will be cut in half ... or they will come up with a magic pill that does what the lap band does now. This is the second time doing this. Last time I was just not committed enough and didn't know what I was getting myself into with all these appointments. How can people with a full time job / family get all this done? It's like another part time job. This takes many months depending how long it takes to loose the weight and when you can fit all these appointments in. I started again in March 2009. Surgery will probably be sometime in July. I'm one of the "quick" ones cause I worked my ass off to loose weight and wasn't made to take the 5 week course again.

Edited June 9, 200917 yr by jvinciguerra1
added testing

My paperwork doesn't go to the insurance company until I meet with the nutr. a few times and the psy. a few times, loose 10% of my weight and then they send it...boy what a drag:thumbdown:

Damn, that sucks! I'm glad my insurance company doesn't require all that. They want: letter from doctor (letter of medical necessity, I guess), 5-year weight history, and diet history. Then a psychologist and nutritionist evaluation. And that's hopefully it!

But I'm still definitely going to try to lose as much weight as I can before the surgery - AFTER I get approved.

Wow! It amazes me how it is different for each surgeon.

My story --- right off the bat had to do that 6-month dr. supervised diet, which the first surgeon's office I called said I had to do with my own Primary Care Physician (PCP). I hadn't even gone to a seminar yet! ugh! but I did quiz 2 people one-on-one who each had the band previously one year and two years. That was Sept. 2008

Then I decided that surgeon wasn't good, and she'd left the city anyway. While on the 6-month thing I'd been researching WHO I wanted to interview and such. I made an appt in April 2008 and saw the surgeon within a week or two. My husband came with me and it was just us and him. that was awesome!

I got the impression it would be "fast" from that point - ha! I did have the "hard" part done - the 6-month diet, and the same day we met with the surgeon we met with the dietician (for an extra cost of $50) but then I had to go to a nutritional seminar (5 hours on a Sunday! and it cost $150), and have the psych eval done. I thought it'd be fast to turn in to the insurance then, April 21st, but no.........turns out that I'm not that high of a priority so if I wasn't calling to check on my records, they weren't looking at them either.

I know it seemed like an eternity at the time ---- but an extra month when I was READY TO GO did seem like an eternity to me.

They finally got my records sent to the insurance on May 15 (I had it all done by April 21! so frustrating)

I called the insurance company on May 22 - even though the surgeon's office pre-certification lady told me it would be a minimum of 10 business days --- and to wait for her to contact me. They had approved me on May 20! I was SO HAPPY! May 20th was my birthday! how awesome is that?

I immediately called to get on the schedule and the first opening was June 15th. So ---- from the first time I spoke with my PCP was the end of Sept and surgery (hopefully it sticks for a date) of June 15 ----- almost 9 months. seems like a long time doesn't it?

oh - I didn't get the insurance letter in the snail mail until May 29th and I don't know WHEN the surgeon's office got it. That lady kept telling me to fax her mine, but I don't have fax so I tried scanning and emailing. it was a mess.

it is time consuming for sure, but makes it all that much more sweet ---- you know you want it and appreciate it.

Hi I'm new to this form.... I started my journey on April 29 seeing an Otho Dr. for my knees. He said I need bilateral knee replacement. But in order for them to do that I would need to loose weight. He suggested a lap band to get the weight off.

May 3 - I went to my primary Dr. and give her all the paperwork he gave me.

May 7 - I had an appointment with a physic Dr.

May 20 - went to the lap band seminar and nutrition on the same day. It was good I had my physic evaluation with me on that day, I was all done on my part :grouphug: just had to wait for them to call me about a surgery date.

June 17 - Yeah!!!! Surgery date....

One good thing we have good insurance and my Dr. took care of all that.... I was lucky I didn't have a long wait time... And my Dr. told me what I needed to do and have done before I went to the seminar and nutrition. If I had my physic evaluation before that would be big help...

Good Luck to all of you still waiting... I pray that things move fast for you... Just keep the faith and God Bless...

Seminar July 10 2008 First surgery Date Aug 11 2008. I wasn't self pay, either.

My seminar was October 2007. Met with the surgeon November 2007. Started 6 month diet program in December 2007 - during that time had all my testing done.

Surgery was September 2008 - so 11 months from start to finish.