Pre-surgical tests..???

[BaileyRose 13]

Hi everyone! I'm fairly new here and I'm learning so much about what's to come during this journey. I have my final appoinent next week and then my file can be submitted to insurance and hopefully(if all goes well with the insurance company) my surgery should be sometime next month.

My question is, not once has my doctor mentioned anything to me about pre-surgical tests. i.e. Apnea test, echocardiogram, thyroid, esophageal... Nothing. Did all of you have to have these tests prior to your surgery or did some of you not? I'm fairly young and thankfully have no health issues regarding my weight(yet) so I was thinking maybe that's why I don't have to do testing..? I will ask him at my next appointment, but i was just wondering if any of you had your surgery without all the testing? Thanks everyone!!

[CheckYes 46]

I only had a chest xray and an EKG. Each took less than five minutes.

[Debora Anne 3]

I had lab work, EKG, Chest X-RAY and Endoscopy

[CheckYes 46]

Ooops, forgot I had a blood draw too.

[Chickie55 0]

Yep, just lab work, ekg, and chest xray!

[Cocoabean 430]

I had bloodwork, EKG, "well woman" check up, that sort of thing, but no sleep study or endoscopy, or pulmonary stuff. I think much of it depends on your medical history.

[bentonhuey 1]

Since I had no other co-morbidities, I had to have a sleep study (and pray I had sleep apnea) to convince insurance that they needed to pay for my lap band. Turns out that I have a mild case of weight-related positional sleep apnea.

After that, I had to have a complete blood work up to make sure I was healthy enough for surgery. (I think I had the blood work up done twice, once for insurance and then once before surgery).

Insurance required me to have a psychological exam to make sure I was psychologically "fit" enough to go through WLS.

I was also required to meet with a nutritionist twice (once during the insurance approval phase and once right before surgery). My WL surgeon had me get an ultrasound to check my gall bladder to see if I had gall stones prior to surgery. Since I did, he removed my gall bladder when he placed the band.

I guess that's it. Mine was pretty extensive, but well worth it. Good luck!

[topazz 4]

My insurance required 6 consecutive months of weigh-ins by a dr before they would allow approval of surgery. I also had a battery of tests that i had to do as well. I think there were about 8 tests, including a sleep test. Fortunately, I was exempt from that, since I did not have any snoring or sleep issues. All the testing was covered by insurance. The only out of pocket payment I had to make was to the nutritionist and for the psychological eval, which were also required.

Good luck~!

[Kate rules 43]

sleep study, psych exam, clearance from primary care, EKG, endoscopy, ultrasound, blood work, urinalysis, upper GI and chest x-ray. Luckily ultrasound and endoscopy were already done within last 30 days.

[More2Love 5]

Your doctor will tell you. Sometimes it's things that are required by the insurance company - such as a Thyroid test. However, my doc required an EKG and chest x-ray. Both are simple and kind of fun! Definitely talk to your doc about it.

[roziecakes 20]

I was self pay and I had these tests: blood work, EKG, Barium Swallow, Chest X-ray, psych eval.

Of course every doctor is different... good luck with your surgery!

[Jess55 97]

Not sure what exactly was my insurance vs my doc. Because at the seminar everyone was given the same test and stuff so it didn't depend on patient history. I'm 28 and have no relevant medical history, yet I was still required to get a sleep study (very mild apnea, only like one in the 5 hours), pulmonary, chest rad, EKG, psych, nutrition, cardiac, etc... Forgot what else

[fefebutterfly 7]

I had to do so many test that I cant name them all. But I think it depends on whos your insurance company and what they require. I know I did the sleep lab, psychologist, nutritionist, cardiologist, radialogist, the test where you have to drink the barrium solution (nasty) and they take xrays of you esophogas. Then a consult with the anesthesiologist the week before surgery. I would ask the dr about that because I took all my test within 1 month after my initial visit. The quicker you get the test the quicker you will be approved by the insurance company and the sooner you will get your surgery. Good luck with your journey.

FeFe

[BaileyRose 13]

Thanks everyone! I don't think my insurance requires any tests other than the psych evaluation and a letter of recommendation from another doctor. I know if I had any heart problems they require a cardiac clearance but I don't have any problems. Thanks for all your input. When I meat with my surgeon on Wednesday I sill ask him what tests he requires.