how long????

[luvbug69 0]

i am very interested in the lap-band... i have done a lot of research and am ready to go. the doctor who will do my surgery sent me my info packet and once i send it back i can get my first appt .i was just wondering how long did it take from your first appt until the surgery. i am so happy about this and ready to get started

[mrsjiggles 4]

Great to hear about your progress. I'm waiting on my first consult now. I asked that same question and the lady that works at my clinic said that if you are "self pay" she has seen people get a surgery date in as little as 2 weeks. I've also heard people talking about having to get on waiting lists. I would assume that this varies from clinic to hospital based on things like the amount of people they have to schedule, the number of operating rooms,and the particular surgeon. I'm not sure but that's what I would guess. Good luck on a quick date and safe surgery.

[steph_co 9]

I'm self pay. Had my initial consult October 18th and my surgery scheduled for November 15th. So, just under a month. Good luck with your journey!

[nessa3678 0]

I had the help of insurance. I had my first consolation on 9/21, got insurance approval two weeks later and banded on the 1st of November. It all depends on your doctor and insurance. Some insurance compaines make you go through certin steps before they will cover it. Also, it depends on the availability of the docotor.

[Longhorn 1]

I'm self-pay. I consulted on October 19 and was banded on November 1 -- that's 13 days!

[VegasGrace 1]

Well, that depends if you are paying for it or trying to get someone else...as in insurance.

Going with someone else, you lose a little bit of control...but hey...get someone else to pay for it!!!!

But if you can determine your pace, you can schedule it within a week or so. Just ask your surgeon when the first available appointment for surgery is.... and take it.

[Longhorn 1]

Just a bit more information: some clinics do everything "in-house" so that you could possibly take a day pre-op and get in all of your consultations and lab work. That could speed things up.

In my case, I had the initial consultation and then lucked into seeing the nutritionist the same day, on Friday the 19th. Then I saw the psychologist on Tuesday, the 23rd, and my GP on Friday, the 26th for the lab work. I went to the hospital for preregistration on Monday, the 29th and saw my doctor for pre-op appointment on Tuesday, the 30th. I have a tight schedule so I was amazed that I was able to get all of these appointments in and only missed about two hours of work until the day of surgery.