Self-Pay out of the chute!

[AngieAngel 0]

Hi all, I am self-pay from the beginning unfortunately. My insurance does not cover anything to do with weight loss surgeries. For those of us who don't have to qualify for insurance, what is the pre-surgical process like? Do we still have to do all the weigh ins?

[Mink 0]

I went to the siminar on May 14th and had pre-op on June 5th and surgery on June 13th other than having a upper GI I have not had to do anything else (they did my pre-op blood work at my pre-op appointment)

Good Luck

[AngieAngel 0]

Thank you for your quick answer! I am very hopeful that it doesn't take 6 months to get to a surgery date. I have been thinking about this for a very long time and want to get started already! :crying:

[Northwest_Nance 0]

I went to a seminar on April 16th, had my appointment with the surgeon, nutritionist and psychiatrist on May 1st and 2nd, and had my surgery on May 15th. (I had already had a sleep study done a few months earlier at the suggestion of another doctor).

[Kalipso2 25]

oh no, if you're self pay you won't have to do the 6 month pre-surgery diet. i'm self pay and there was about a 3 week window between my initial consultation and my surgery date!

[AngieAngel 0]

Are sleep studies required of all LapBand patients?

[AngieAngel 0]

oh no, if you're self pay you won't have to do the 6 month pre-surgery diet. i'm self pay and there was about a 3 week window between my initial consultation and my surgery date!

What a relief. I thought they would run up the cost even higher with a long drawn out process and visits.

[Kalipso2 25]

i didn't have to do a sleep study but i kinda wish i had. i sleep SO much better since the surgery it makes me wonder if i had sleep apnea.

[tommaney 0]

I was self-pay too, and once I got in all my tests--CBC, EKG, Chest x-ray--I was scheduled within 3 weeks. It was dependent on the hospital's availability and availability of my Dr's assistants. I didn't have any sleep problems or other gastrointestinal problems that would have warranted an upper GI.

Since it's on your dime, I hope you find an excellent doctor who has great aftercare! Good luck!

[AngieAngel 0]

Thank you for sharing!

[Northwest_Nance 0]

Are sleep studies required of all LapBand patients?

I don't know if all doctors require a sleep study, but every doctor that I was considering for my weight loss surgery required it, and just about every surgery story I read during my research process mentioned a sleep study as part of their pre-surgery requirements. Even the hip surgeon I saw for my hip surgery said he wouldn't put me under anesthesia until I'd had a sleep study. Good news for me at least, is that the sleep study was covered by insurance (weight loss surgery was not).

[Great2BThin 5]

I went to my seminar on 4/26, had my consult with the surgeon on 5/14. He required a psych screening and pulomanary screening and since I was 50 a cardio clearance as well. Got those done right away and had surgery 6/5. I didn't need a sleep study however. My insurance did pay for all the screenings except the psych one, even though I was self pay for the surgery. At first I was disappointed my surgeon required these screenings as there is a much cheaper dr. in town that doesn't, but as I got closer to surgery and started getting scared I was glad to know that everything was good and I was as safe as could be going into surgery.

[ssdown 0]

I didn't need a sleep study. I was at 41 BMI with no co-morbidities and self-pay. My insurance did not pay for any weight loss procedures either. It took about two months for me to jump through the hoops. The office coordinator was not very coordinated when it came to scheduling! All in all, my surgery went well and I have not regretted my decision for one minute. SS

[bas 0]

I also am a self pay. I met with my Doc here in Houston and my surgery is this Wednesday.

One bit of advice for all the normal pre-op testing - EKG, chest xray, bloodwork ... if you go to your Family Doctor for those then have them send it to your Doctor/Hospital, you will save some fees.

Usually the self-pay is a package price - Doc / Hospital / Anethesiologist / and pre-op testing, but the testing is usually outsourced by the hospital and those companies will charge to analyze the test results to send to the doctor. A little hidden charge I got to avoid since the Doctor's office gave me a heads up on that.

[MissMom24 2]

I was self pay (Dr. Kirshenbaum www.lapbandrockies.com) Everything was very fast. I had my consult, nutrition consult and surgery w/in 2 months.