How long did it take from your first consultation until surgery day?

[ML573663 18]

My consultation is July 11th. I'm currently a graduate school student and do a lot of traveling for school. I'm wondering if I can get the surgery before the summer is over and school starts, or if I would have to schedule it during my winter break. Just curious...

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[OutsideMatchInside 10,166]

8 weeks. I had to do a lot of tests on my heart (which turned out fine in the end) and that slowed the whole thing down. If I didn't need that series of heart tests I think it could have been less than a month.

[PrinceVanHalen 97]

My consultation was in April and I got my surgery on June 21st. I wanted it a lot sooner, but that's all they had available.

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[Oak Park Lorena 162]

@@ML573663 It was almost 3 months for me.

It's not just the surgical clearance and scheduling, some WLS centers have a specific program that you have to complete even before they will schedule you for a procedure. I had my surgery at the University of Chicago and there were several classes I had to attend as well as getting a psych eval prior to scheduling a date.

Also, I don't know if you've already had your procedure pre-certified with your insurer, but they may have hoops for you to jump through as well.

Finally, your surgeon is going to want you to do a pre-op diet of at least two weeks that is more about surgical safety--shrinking your liver--than losing weight, so you have to build in time for that as well.

[BrittLovesLife 68]

My consultation was June 17th and I'm having surgery July 5th

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[Jadane_dm 34]

It depends on your insurance. My insurance company requires a 6 Month pre op program including a supervised diet, 6 month weigh ins, blood work, cardiac clearance, psych clearance, and other test. My consult which was considered my first visit was 01/28/16 and it looks like I'm on track to have my surgery mid August.

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[Jadane_dm 34]

Although it may sound discouraging to have to wait so long before surgery. It really allows you to think about the life changing decision that your making, and helps you make the lifestyle changes needed to be successful after surgery.

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[BrittLovesLife 68]

Although it may sound discouraging to have to wait so long before surgery. It really allows you to think about the life changing decision that your making, and helps you make the lifestyle changes needed to be successful after surgery.

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I totally agree! My mom told me about it December of 2014 and I went back and forth about it and i wanted to sincerely try to lose weight by myself and see what I could do. This is definitely going to be life changing but oh soooo awesome!

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[OutsideMatchInside 10,166]

I don't see any benefit in making people wait and letting their health get worse while they wait. Healthcare is a human right, not a privilege.

[Jadane_dm 34]

I don't see any benefit in making people wait and letting their health get worse while they wait. Healthcare is a human right, not a privilege.

So my surgeon told me they basically require you to wait so they can pick out the weak basically the people who can't handle the process and be successful in the pre op weight loss and also so the insurance company can save money. I agree it isn't right. However at first I looked at the six months as a burden but it gave me time to contemplate if I was ready to make such a major life change, and it gave me time to make the lifestyle change. I'm just thinking of people who have their surgery within a few weeks of their first consult. It must be really hard to go from eating whatever you want, smoking, drinking and whatever else you do, to being completely restricted for the rest of your life. I'm happy that I got these 6 months to slowly decrease my alcohol intake, stop smoking hookah, and change my eating habits. It would be so hard to stop cold turkey.

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[OutsideMatchInside 10,166]

Well, not everyone was eating whatever. I gave up sugar, soda, and alcohol years before surgery and the weight wasn't coming off. The post op diet isn't very different from how I was eating before, except now I have Portion Control without feeling like I am starving.

Even though I went from first visit to surgery in a few weeks it took months of planning. I work for myself. I spent hours at the beginning of the year picking a plan that covered surgery the easiest with the least out of pocket, which meant higher monthly premiums. Then I started the ball rolling with a new primary doctor. It took months of prior planning to make it smooth so it happened at the time of year that was best for my business.

If I did the long 6 months plan at Northwestern or Washington University, I would have never been able to have surgery. It would have taken so much time from my business, I wouldn't have been able to afford surgery. My time is money and time is the most expensive thing on the planet. Once lost it can never be replaced. I didn't have time to waste and a lot of people don't either.

[NewBeginning2016 63]

I started mid January (don't remember the exact date) and surgery 6/17/16.

VSG 6/17/2016

[ML573663 18]

I guess I'm just wondering what my insurance's plan usually is for sleeve surgery. I have Affinity and haven't been able to get any answers. It's a little frustrating.

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[JupiterinVirgo 846]

About 3-4 months.

[Seastars 175]

34 days for me. Self-pay so I didn't have to jump through insurance hoops.