How long is the lap band process?

[love.star 1]

I am wanting to get the lap band done within a month from now. I havent yet seen a surgeon but I plan to make an appointment this week. I am somewhat anxious in getting it done and am wondering is there a waiting period From the time of my first consultation/dr appointment all the way to the date of surgery? If so, how long does the whole process take? Thnks!!!:thumbup:

[Brian-LA 0]

It all depends IF you are self paying / paying for it yourself or you are going through Insurance and your Insurance will pay for it / you have gone through all their steps for approval AND they approve it.

I was self pay ( $ 16,000 ) and started my seminar on August 11, 2010 and I was REALIZE Banded on Sept 8, 2010 ... all less then a month. Since I am self pay I got it lightning quick... no hassles. UNFORTUNATELY for me, although I have outstanding Medical Health Insurance which pays for almost about everything and Doctors love my insurance... it still doesn't cover Bariatric Surgery.

On the other hand people who have Insurance that covers it... the process can be quick like mine to taking half a year or more and then be denied coverage / etc to taking a lot longer. ANd people who are denied often seek re-approvals and get approved.

-Brian :thumbup:

[missgypsy 1]

i think alot of it depends on what the surgeons schedule is. when i met with my surgeon and then did the pysc evaul and went back in and talked to him he wanted to do it the next week. total time from meeting him to the surgery was about 6 wks. all because i was waiting on my appt with the other dr.

[love.star 1]

Thanks for yalls help! I will be paying through my insurance. I called them and they said I am covered for Bariatric Surgery but I will have to do a psych evaluation. I was wondering should I go with a more popular surgeon, that way I know he is legit and good, and wait for availability? OR go with local (board certified of course) surgeon who's flexible with availability?

[stateofzen 46]

You want the best surgeon, as long as you like him/her and feel a sense of trust since you'll be dealing with this person for a very long time for follow-ups.

I'm just curious-- what's the rush?

[Brian-LA 0]

I'd go with the best Surgeon because you want the best outcome. That isn't saying there can't or won't be complications or pain... but it sure lessens the chances.

Bariatric Surgery is still surgery and it isn't a joke. Its a big deal but that said, my surgery was pretty complication free on since I had a great surgeon the pain was on the low side / went away quick.

The decision to get the Band is a big one , one which you should go in knowing all the risks and rewards of. You shouldn't rush it. Go in informed and decide what is right for you.

-Brian

[rockstar 0]

If you don't count the year of decision making for me, my process would have taken right around 5 weeks. It took about a week for the insurance to approve me but all of my tests (psych, nut, consult) were available right away... like within a day or two of me calling to make an appointment. That may be unusual but it worked out. I'm going on vacation at the end of this month so I opted to push my surgery back a couple weeks... but I don't see why you couldn't accomplish everything quickly.

And, of course, research, research, research! This is not the surgery for everyone!

[girlbanded 0]

It really depends on your insurance requirements, physician requirements and if your required to loose a % of weight for surgery. I've seen it vary from 6 weeks - 1 year.

[SoCalMrsG 0]

I had my first appointment in mid-April and all of the required appointments (Psych eval, nutritionist) within the next 2 weeks. I had my paperwork submitted in May and I was approved the last week of August and I was told my surgery date would be mid-september (it has been scheduled for 9/16)...so all in all a little more than 5 months for me and I did everything they asked for right away. The longest process was getting approved, Insurance did tell me it would take 6-8 weeks to get approved and it felt like forever and compared to others, I guess it did!

I had no issues, no denials and no complications...so it just depends.

I have BC/BS of PA (live in CA)....

Good Luck!!

[Jess55 97]

I hate to tell you, but if you are going through your insurance most likely you will need a six month supervised diet prior to your surgery

[love.star 1]

thanks!! the only rush is my husbands availability to take off. i went for a consultation and i was approved right away from my insurance. my insurance covers everything, even testing. so they said the whole process from start of testing to surgery should take abt 4-6wks. my insurance didnt require a waiting period at all!! :biggrin:

[angieboyd 0]

I go tomorrow for my psych evalutaion and to see the dietication and from there it should only be about a week. Like you, my insurance dosen't require a waiting period or a six month diet or anything of that nature. Good luck.

[emeraldinthesky 0]

Hello :biggrin:

Ehhh. It depends on what type of insurance you have. I have Tricare Prime so it was fast. I had the seminar,evals and pre ops in late august and got approved in september, surgery is in a week. So it all depends.

Look on your insurance providers website or call in.

some people it take 2 months like me or up to a year.

hope this helps.

Cheers!

[GipsyGirl 6]

2 months for me ( BCBS ) The longest part was waiting for my insurance to approve it.

Then someone canceled their day of the surgery and they fit me in. Sooo, Oct 6th for me.

Good Luck!:smile:

[missez 0]

Not long for me I have Blue Cross insurance and it only took them 6 days to approve my surgery. First appt. was on 8/16/10, pre-op testing done 08/23/10, insurance approved on 09/16/10, and I am having surgery on 09/30/10!!! Good luck!!!!