Calling all Dr. Blackstone patients.......

I'm looking for some info on how long it takes after you get approved to actually having the surgery scheduled. I'm hearing through the grapevine it can be 3 or 4 months, which would almost put me into next year, and my insurance might be changing. If so, I have the possibility of flying into NV to have it done with a surgeon out there. Any thoughts???? TIA ALLI

I was approved in mid-July of 2005 and had surgery in September of 2005.....so 2 months after approval. I could have gone sooner but since I had previous abdominal surgery, Splenectomy, they wanted Dr. B to do my procedure. Wanted to keep it as a LAP procedure...which they did. But if you aren't stuck on Dr. Blackstone....there are two other surgeons in her office that are awesome. I would think that 2 months is about the average for getting the surgery....there is a lot that you have to do...and I don't remember having many non busy days between approval and actual surgery. Any questions let me know. Dave 411/205/170

I started my consultation in June... they told me it would take probably 2-3 months to get everything approved and to get ready for surgery. They are resubmitting everything this week and then we shall see what happens. Biggest battle is the insurance companies... I thought mine would be smooth sailing and so did the office, but we were both wrong. From what I understand, once you get a approved, surgery can be within a month.

Call there and ask. Ask for the person who schedules for surgery and you will get an accurate answer. I chose to have Dr. Kieran b/c her schedule was not as tight as Dr. blackstones. And she was incredible. I don't think I could have had any better care then i recieved. Best of luck

Hi, I am Mary. I was approved from CIGN (City of Phx) in 4 days! I spoke to Noreen in scheduling on 8/3 and have Oct 4th scheduled with DR Kholler. This was the earliest possible. A little longer for Blackstone. Dr Kieran is gone.

I have Cigna (Wellsfargo) I submitted all my paperwork on 7/24/06 I received my approval on 7/28/06 and scheduled surgery with Noreen on 8/7/06. My operation will be with Blackstone on 09/26/06.

I got my insurance approval in December 2005 and I was scheduled for January 17, 2006 with Dr. Blackstone. It all depends on how busy their schedule is. After looking at all of the other responses, it looks like I was pretty lucky. I love all of the surgeons at Scottsdale Bariatric. I have delt with all of them at one time or another. I would refer anyone that is going to have WLS to SBC. They have been wonderful. I work in the healthcare field and have to deal with doctors on a regular basis, so I know how many can make you feel when you call after hours or if you call with what they think is a stupid question. I have never had this experience with SBC. They call back quickly. They are patient and understanding. I hope this was helpful. Kristin 351/212/150

I was at SBC's support meeting last night and from my understanding it can take a few months right now. Dr. Kieran left (or is leaving) to fulfill some obligations she has to the government (I have no clue) so until another surgeon steps in to fill the gap, there might be some delays with scheduling. I had my surgery in June with Dr. Kieran (so sad she is leaving) and from my inital consult to my surgery date it was about 2 months. However, I could have had been scheduled in about a month if I had been able to work out the timing. I can definitely understand your frustration. Dr. Blackstone is one of the top surgeons in this field and she is very picky about who she accepts into the practice there. I'm not putting any other surgeons down, because I know there are a lot of really good surgeons out there. Just know that if you do decide to go with SBC, you will be in excellent hands. One thought I had as well is with your monthly follow-ups. Are you able to travel to NV once a month (or however often the surgeon requires you to follow-up) to meet with your surgeon for after-care? What if you had an emergency situation that you had to get to your surgeon quickly? Would you be able to do that? These were all things that I had to consider as well when I was making the decision on who to go with. As it is, I have to travel 3 1/2 to 4 hours once a month to SBC. That usually involves an overnight stay since I try to attend the support groups when I go. Good luck, whatever you decide. The surgery is definitely worth it.

FYI Dr. Kieran must be in the reserves and is going to duty so we can have our freedom.

I started the process in April and I am still waiting on a date. I was approved by my insurance recently and I am just waiting to hear from Noreen. I found it difficult to get a straight answer from anyone in the office and they take forever to return phone calls. The process has been very draining and I have considered going elsewhere. Good Luck! Christine