Information has now been sent to Dr B.
Just wanted to update everyone regarding getting in to see Dr B. in Moncton...my family doctor sent my information off to his office on November 10th so now I am waiting for a call from Dr. B's Secretary in the mean time I will be going to see Dr. Dornan in Saint John he is the Endocrinologist as well papers and information have been sent off to Medicare for them to approve the procedure. I know I still have a long wait for this but everything is in the process. I will give Dr. B's office a call tomorrow to see if they have received the information on me from my family doctor. I will keep you posted and let you all know when I receive an appointment from Dr. B.
Wow! How long is the waiting list now? I was in to see Dr B for the first time in August after waiting 2 1/2 years and I still haven't been booked for my full day information session.
When you say you are just starting do you mean JUST STARTING or have you been waiting for years as well?
Either way -- wishing you both well!
Well actually my wait has not been too long at all really - I went to my family Dr back in June 2005 , she sent a referral to the new Dr in Halifax, they advised her that there would be a 5 year wait , this took about 2 months to hear this , so I asked her to refer mr to Dr B in Moncton . I am including a copy of my e-mail to him on Nov 22/05 and his response to me .
. "My name is Sherry Campbell, my family Dr has sent off a referral for weight loss surgery . She received a reply from your office along with a questionnaire and information on Lap Band coverage information from MSI. I live in Nova Scotia and have been told I have at least a five year wait. I spoke with your secretary last week briefly and she advised that I was 865 on a list and would probably have a two year wait. She advised that if I received confirmation from MSI I would be able to have my name placed on a list that is not as long.
Can you tell me if you practice other types of weight loss surgery?
Is the wait list for Lap Band two years long?
Where do I go from here to get MSI approval?
If I consider paying for the procedure myself , what would the cost be and when could I expect to have this done?
I would say you are a very busy man and I would appreciate any guidance you can provide.
Thank You for your time.
His reply
"You can call MSI, they cover for the gastric bypass, but only cover a part of the lap-band procedure. Even if you are pre-approved, you have to pay the band itself, and cover my fees and anesthelioligist fees, and the get the reimbursment from MSI. If you want to pay the hole procedure by yourself, without pre-approval, then there is almost no waiting, because most of the waiting is because of administrations procedures. To total cost for private surgery (lap-band) is 9550$. If you get pre-approval, you still pay 4500$ for the band, 954$ for me and 450$ for anesthesiologist, but you get a re-imboursment from MSI of about 900$ total.
If you prefer gastric-bypass, then you need pre-approval, because I dont offer the private surgery for this major procedure.
So, if you call MSI, or ask your family phisician to request your pre-approval, send a copy or the answer from MSI to us, you would get your consultation sooner, if you already know that you want a Lp-Band, say so when you send the letter, it will be faster, and if you want the private surgery, call my secretery and you could get your consultation within 2 month, and if you have the criteria, get your surgery within a month and a half ( after the mandatory information session given by our nurse and dietetitian, plus the mandatory 3 weeks pre-op diet).
I hope this help you somehow, I'm sorry about the waiting, but there is too much job in this field for one surgeon alone, I know you can understand. I then contacted my family Dr , she wrote a letter to MSI and within a month it was approved.
I had my first consult with DR B in September of this year , he advised that they were running behind because of summer vacations and that I would most likely have my information session in November and my surgery 5 to 7 months after that. In October I was told that one of the people that give the info session was going to be off for a month because they were having surgery so the info session would likely be January now. I did have a call on Nov 6th for a cancellation , on Nov 7th, but I could not attend ( I had a family emergency) , so I am waiting for my session .
Will see you there!
I had no idea that if you paid in full yourself that you could get this surgery faster or I would have done that years ago - they should tell people that!!!!! Thanks Krista and I bet we will be in the same class, well hopefully ! I was all hepped up and was doing pretty good watching what I was eating , then it all kind of went of the rails this month.
Are you going for Lap-Band? I am going for RNY . It seems like you got to go through a lengthy process to get approval in New Brunswick to pay for RNY ? I got approval pretty quick but I have to go to another province ... funny how the system works!
Cheers!!
Sherry
Hello Sherry & Krista:
Thank you for your information Sherry it was very informative for me, I went today to see my family doctor again as she has been trying since the summer to get my blood pressure under control with blood pressure meds and she finally has it regualted with the proper strength that I should be on which is Altace 10mg I started out with only 2.5mg then she upped it to 5mg and now 10mg. I have also been having my surgars tested regularly as they have been high. While I was in to see my family doctor today she also informed me that she has already sent a consult off to Dr Dornan who is the Endocrinologist that I need to see before even seeing Dr. B. I guess Dr Dornan will be doing the assessment and also to send off the information for approval through Medicare. I am not sure which procedure I am going to have done...I would like to have the Lap Band done but I don't think I could come up with part of the money for this procedure but I am sure once I see Dr Dornan he will probably suggest what is best for me in the long run. I am so ready for this big transformation in my life and willing to take this next step into a better me. I have had so many health issues lately and it scares me. Right now I have been seeing a plastic surgeon regarding a lump that is behind my left knee in the bend and just found out it is a tumor and I go for the results on December 4th to find out if it is Cancerous or not so as you can tell I have been a basket case. So at this point in my life I really want to get my life in order and do what is right and healthy for me and to be around for my kids.
With the gastric surgery that I am hoping to have I know there is such a long wait and the red tape you have to go through..I just hope that I am doing everything in order so that things move along smoothly....but I have been reading as much information as I can on all this and I know there is quite a sacrifice to take after the procedure with the eating habits and everything but I am so willing and ready for all of this....I know I have so many other questions to ask just not sure where to begin.
Krista I see you live in the Quispamsis area I am in Willow Grove out towards St. Martins...we should get together or talk sometime...and good luck in your meeting with Dr. B. and Sherry as well...thank you again for your information.
Hugs
Beth
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