timeframe from education class to surgery???????

hi!  i am new here.  had my initial education class today.  my insurance doesn't require any supervised diet period.  i only have to go through the required exams.  how long does it usually take between initial exams (endoscopy, sleep study, etc.) and surgery date?  thanks for any advice, i am still very nervous!

Just remember that everyone is different. (( I had to wait until I was 18 to have it, I have been trying to get wls since I was 16))
Heres mine:
Seminar - April 19th 2007
Learning Class - May 15th 2007
Physiological Evaluation - June 28th 2007
First meeting with Dr. Cook - September 7th 2007
Pre-Op - November 8th 2007
Gastric Bypass Surgery - November 20th 2007
 

Congratulations on your choice to have WLS. It's normal to be nervous, I'm very nervous...it's a huge undertaking. As for time frame, there is no real answer. So many factors come into play that it's impossible to guess. I just wish you the best in a speedy process! Wendy

(((( Welcome, edentonmom! )))) As Wendy mentioned, there are myriad factors involved in getting from the initial seminar to surgery.  Sometimes it all seems so random!  Some people get approval within a few short weeks; others can take MUCH longer (usually if there are co-morbidity issues that need to be dealt with, or a particularly cantankerous insurance company). I went to my initial appointment in October and probably would have been approved by December, except for a mix-up that couldn't get resolved before things got all wacky at the holiday time.  And then I had some scheduling issues because of work and travel.  My Lap Band surgery was January 25.

You will love Dr. Naziri!!! He just did my surgery on Tuesday and so far I'm feeling great. :) I had my education class in Sept. So it wasn't too long. It look longer because my psyc eval was cancelled by the docs office twice. I also delayed a month because of work commitments. Let me know if I can answer any questions. Welcome to the forum. :) Becky

I first went to the surgeon in Sept of 2005, I was ready to submit to insurance in Jan of 06, I had to jump thru hoops until April of 06 when I got approval - then my surgery was set for June of 06 - so 9 months from start to finish.... I did not have a supervised diet either.

It's going to vary from person to person and program to program, but you probably won't have nearly as long a wait as those who might have to do a supervised weight loss program. It usually takes a few weeks to get the first appointment. You usually need to have a battery of tests done; the Dr's office may be able to tell you what needs to be done. Sometimes they will accept tests that were done recently. Once you have the tests done, you'll probably need to meet with the nutritionist and a psychologist. It usually takes a few weeks to get the results from those appointments transcribed and ready to put into your records. Once everything is ready it is reviewed by the insurance specialist at your dr's office for completeness and if ready is submitted to your insurance. Once the insurance has it, they have a contractually allotted amount of time in which to review your records and provide a determination ... That can take up to 3 weeks. You can check with the insurance specialist and/or your insurance to find out what the timeframe is likely to be. Once you get an approval from the insurance, the Dr's office will check availability and schedule your surgery. It can take anywhere from a couple of months to a couple of years depending on your cir****tances.

I wish you every success in your journey.

Barb

thanks to each of you for sharing with me!  i am very organized and like everything laid out, 1,2,3 and have a schedule.  i am not used to this "limbo" and not being in control.   thanks again!

My insurance company also did not require any supervised diet, I started the process in July 2007 and had RNY on September 18th, 2007, congrats on going with Southern Surgical, my doctor is partners with Dr. Nazari and they are wonderful and you are in great hands! Best of luck to you.

Darcie

Same as Darcie and Becky, my education class was in July 2007 and I had surgery October 11. Approximately 4 months. Dr. MacDonald did my surgery with SS and he was great-- he is Dr. N's partner. Bobbi is good about getting appointments scheduled, so as long as the other doctors don't have issues it should take the 4 month period from start to finish. We have a support group that meets the first Wednesday of every month at the office. Feel free to join us and be sure to tell us you are on OH! :) Congrats on the surgery and I look forward to hearing you work through the process!