how long for lapband to become reality....

[iwalktheline 1]

I would like for people to share their experience w/lapbanding time lines.

From the decision "I am going to get lap banding" until the actual day of surgery how long did it take. I really appreciate everyones stories because I feel like the 6 month "supervised diet" is just a stall tactic for my insurance. I have 20 years of diets and massive weight gain to show.

Thanks:drool:

[DaisyMay 1]

March 11 - Lapband seminar

March 12 - Made decision to proceed - scheduled appt w/ surgeon

March 18 - Consult w/ surgeon & begin pre-op diet

March 31 - sleep study at hospital

April 3 - Psych evaluation

April 4 - Nutritionist evaluation

April 18 - Diet progress evaluated by surgeon

April 25 - Pre-op appointment w/ surgeon & hospital

April 29 - Surgery

My surgeon required that I lose 10% of my total body weight pre-surgery. I lost about 22 lbs. between March 18 and April 18. Because I lost so quickly, when I went in for my weight check appointment on April 18, he moved my surgery from May 13 to April 29 and didn't ultimately require that I lose the entire amount. I was excited to get to go two weeks early. I was self-pay so I didn't have the long delays that a lot of people experience. I scheduled all of my pre-op appointments as quickly as possible and pretty much just drank Protein shakes for a month (with the occasional treat every three or four days when I couldn't stand another liquid meal) to shed the weight. All in all, mine went pretty fast. Good luck!

Edited July 18, 2008 by DaisyMay

[gigem 0]

June 4, 2008 - Seminar & initial consultation

June 5, 2008 - Made up my mind it was for me

June 18, 2008 - Surgery

14 days...

I paid out of pocket. Ouch! My insurance would have taken a year, if they would have approved it at all...

[kkarryall 0]

HI---well I decided this was the right decision for me in early December 2007--had my first appt with my PCP for the 6 month diet on Dec. 5th 2007 and was banded June 23rd 2008. When I heard about the 6 month diet I was soooo discouraged---but time goes on anyway, so just do it and it will be over before you know it. I haven't had my first fill yet---but I have been working very hard and i think that part of my motivation to eat healthfully, watch portion size etc., is due to the 6 month prep period. Not only did I do the diet, but I learned soooo much about the lapband....the most important thing being that it is only a tool and will not lose the weight for you.

Good luck

[danasuze 0]

6 months is NOTHING! It actually took me 2 1/2 years to get mine approved. I started with my indurance company (oh wait that should be "insurance company") BCBS-maryland with my old company. They would not approve it at all. They flat out said they would approve GB but not the LAP BAND. And there was no way I was going to go the GB route. I like my intestines in the order they are now thank you very much. So even through appeals I couldn't get them to say yes. Well low and behold my company closed in August '07 and I went to work for another company in September '07 so as soon as I made it past the 90 day mark I started again since we had a different insurance carrier. So come January I made another appt with a different surgeon (I'm really glad I changed too!) and started all over again. The new insurance company insisted that I do a 90 day Dr supervised diet and 3 visits with a nutritionist. I can not begin to tell you how crushed I was that I was going to have to wait yet again! But everyone kept telling me "Don't worry it will go much faster than you think". So I went to each and every appt, kept my diary and did everything they asked. I wasn't about to give them any reason to not say yes this time! Once they gathered all the info the Dr's office submitted the information to insurance. I finally got an approval the first week of June! I had to do a 2 week preop diet so I wanted a little time to get all the favorites out of my system once last time so I scheduled my surgery for July 10th. So on June 26th I started my preop diet and I haven't looked back since. When I was talking to the surgeon the day before the surgery and he was asking if I was ready I told oh yeah I've been trying to get to this point for 2 1/2 years and he told me that it was probably for the best since the new 3rd generation band was SO much better than the one I would have had if this had happened when I started. Go to the appts, meet with the nutritionist and think of this as the time you need to be sure that you REALLY are ready to do this. Because it is a new way of life and you do have to be prepared to make the changes to your life that are needed to be sucessful. I'm a firm believer in all things happen for a reason and I fully believe that my having to wait was meant to be so that I had the time to deal with my issues and understand what got me here in the first place and get my mind set to make this work. Good luck!!

[MyMeshelle 2]

Seminar in Jan when i was pregnant- Had my baby May 29th 2008 waited a few weeks and made my consult appt...

July 2-Consult w/Dr. Teng

July 3- Psych eval

July 8th- Upper GI

July 10th- Met with Nutritionist & Echo

July 18th- Surgery

I am "self pay"

[2befree 0]

I guess I have the record. I went to the seminar on 4/2/08 and surgery two days later on 4/4/08! I was self-pay. I am so happy with it so far - I've lost 28 pounds to date and have not dieted at all - I eat what I want, just alot less of it.

[SueAZ 3]

I decided in January 08, met with my PCP to ask for a referral for lapband surgery. February 14 met with Surgeon and got list of requirements. That took through March. My surgeons office was on the slow side in submitting to insurance. Once submitted the surgery was approved in less than 2 weeks. 6 month diet not required by my insurance.

[LALINDSEY 0]

Jan 31 2008 went to pcp

Feb 11 2008 sent paper work to Weight Loss center

Mar 2008 she rained on my parde told me I had to do a 3 month diet before they would even see me....

Apr 10 2008 met with dieticain

she gave me a list of testing to get done. Wow sleep studies were a trip I had 3 of them..

April 22 2008 went to first nutrition class

may 15 2008 went to 2nd class

june 12 2008 finaly got to meet the surgeon I loved her form the minute I met her.Becasude I knew she ws fixing to change my life.

7-10-2008 Yeah I got banded......

7-14-08 back in the hospital with serve pain.... for 2 days.

7-16-08 home from hospital... I'm having a longer time healing. ct scan perfect. said I now have a foregin object inside getting used to me and i'm getting used to it....

07-17-08 I decied to join lapbandtalk.com

Edited July 18, 2008 by LALINDSEY

[flowers 0]

3 - 4 weeks, I was self pay. The only reason it took that long was the first date I picked, the doctor was at a seminar, so I waited another week.

Im still not positive how much it will help me. My problem is when I get stressed I eat. Right now Im not stressed, so Im losing. Im also a snacker. I did back out once, and knew that my BMI was already questionable, so if I lost more weight I wouldnt qualify, so I had it done, kind of as a back up to dieting. I probably wouldnt be aggressive in fills unless I feel I need them. I was 248 when I applied and now 233. I think thats great progress. I was 239 when I went for surgery, then popped back up to 242, then started down. whew...on my way.

[Laurinda 1]

I went to my seminar Nov. of 06.

I had my surgery Jan. of 08.

I did everything I was supposed to do and had hoped to have my surgery 7/07 BUT even after doing everything that was required in the time frame it was required I still ended up waiting for insurance to get it together. At one point I became very depressed and was almost at the point of thinking this would never happen when FINALLY I got "approval" I am not telling you this to discourage you but encourage you BECAUSE even though I waited way longer then I should have I am so very glad I did not walk away and say forget it! The Band is the best thing I have ever done for myself!

*I hear many insurance companies require the 6 month diet. Time flies so very fast!

Good-luck to you!

[fleminld 0]

Applied to insurance in Oct 2007, approved in Feb 2008, my surgury is Aug 6th 2008. I had a lot of waiting due to a long wait list of people wanting the surgery and one of the doc's retiring.

[cowgrrl 0]

Approximately 6 months but I could have had it sooner if I wasn't a preschool teacher & needed to be able to lift. I had been thinking about it for about 2 years. A brief timeline:

-January: Decided to try & apply & see if I could be approved. I knew from reading lap band talk that it could take 6 months & I wanted to have it done in the summer.

-February: Approved with no delay. Call to schedule but they aren't scheduling as far out as I need.

-April: Call back & get scheduled for 1st week in June

-End of May: Go in for pre-op appointment

-1st week of June: Surgery

Somewhere in there I did go to a seminar but I don't remember when. I'll have my first fill in late August.