Getting the process started and totally lost

[SunKissedinCali 0]

I am 26, been trying to find a way to do the surgery for about 4 years and finally got my father to help me. I don't have insurance so he will be paying out of pocket so I don't need to worry about qualifying with them. Now all I have to do is get things started but have no idea where to start. Can someone give me a check off list or even a heads up on what to do or expect? Anything would be helpful at this point, thanks :thumbup:

Edited July 29, 2008 by Kelli258

[juliegeraci 7]

Hi Kelli, I take it you are self pay? The first thing I would do is find a good Bariatric surgeon experiences with lapband. My doctor has done thousands of surgeries so that is why I chose him.

[krtork 0]

The first thing you need to do is attend a seminar. Most surgeons hold them. Look for a local surgeon and find out when the next seminar is. You will have a chance to listen to patients and the surgeon talk about the procedure.

I believe for most people that is the jumping off point. You might even want to attend a seminar for a different surgeon if that is an option in your area. It will give you a chance to compare.

You will then need to make an appointment with the office and they will get you started on the fun journey of a million doctors appointments to be approved!

If you have insurance that will pay, it may be a long process. It sounds like most want you to do a 6 month supervised diet before they will approve, but again, that depends on the company. I am self-pay so the process has gone quickly.

Good luck!

[zukagirl22 1]

Well first off you might want to try and give your insurance a call. Find out if they cover weight loss surgery. Ask them if they require any weight history or supervised diets. It's pretty common for insurance companies to want a 5 year weight history (from doctors visits) and a 6 month medically documented supervised diet. not all require this but many do. Next don't feel disapointed if you don't find anyhthing out or they are uncooperative many insurances will try and give you the run around so don't spend to much time on this. Next try and look up to look up where the bariatric surgeons are near you. You can look that up on the inetrnet. Many if not all will have a seminar that you must go to. Take your insurance card and an ID. At the end of the seminar they most likely will take all your info including your insurance info to get you set up with a consult with a doctor. While waiting for your consult (it might be a few weeks from your seminar)the people who work for the doctor's office should call your insurance company to find out if they cover weigh loss surgery, how much, and what they require to deam the surgery medically needed. So again if when you call the insurance company they tell you they don't cover it go to the seminar and let them call you insurance company because sometimes when they call youy find out they do cover it.

if it turns out you do need a 6 month diet or weight history the doctors office should help you with all that. if it's not covered you can do self pay. But i don;t know much about that. Mine was covered :thumbup:

Again this is my experience. Not really sure this is what you should expect. Good luck! :thumbs_up:

[Jodi_620 37]

Seminar: Find bariatric surgeons in your area and get a schedule for their seminars (I would check out at least two different surgeons if possible).

Consult: Once you choose your surgeon schedule a consult. They will weigh you, discuss the surgery with you and walk you through the next steps.

The next steps are not always the same but in general: Psych evaluation, Nutritionist visits, upper GI, sleep study, bloodwork/EKG/Surgery realease with your PCP.

You will probably be put on a pre-op diet and a post-op diet. The nutritionist will educate you on what your surgeon requires...I was on liquid Protein 2 weeks prior to surgery date and 2 weeks after then 2 weeks of mushie food.

You will probably have a pre-op visit with the surgeon about a week before surgery to review the results of the above and discuss the surgery, check-in instructions, after care etc. ...then surgery.

Edited July 29, 2008 by Jodi_620