How long from start to finish?

How long did it take from your first appointment to the surgery?  I have my first appointment with the surgeon on March 16th.  My PCP refered me last week (after asking him to refer me).   I'm starting to worry I may have done things out of order. 

It varies on lots of different things such as insurance approval process, scheduling, completing your pre-op tests and your surgeon's schedule.  When you meet with your surgeon on 3/16, ask this question so you'll have a better idea.

Good luck!

You can also talk with your insurance company and ask for the requirements.  Many (like mine) require 6 months of supervised weight loss.  I knew about this requirement before I talked with the surgeon.  If you're self pay, it could be as little as 6 weeks instead.

but you're not doing it out of order.  This first consultation will probably be very quick.  The surgeon will want to see your medical history, get your current weight and other stats, and then start you on the process.  Besides the supervised weight loss, you'll probably also have to go through a psychiatric exam, a number of classes, and possibly other requirements.

For me, I met with my surgeon on May 14th, and I had surgery on October 6th.

Thank you.  My biggest fear is I'm "healthy" just obese.  I don't have high blood pressure, I don't have diabetes, I don't have sleep apnea.  My problem is joint pain.  I have severe back pain (had injections last year), knee pain (will need replaced), and broke my leg 6 months ago causing bad leg pain.  I'm hoping those problems will make me in need.  I'm 5'8" and currently 297...BMI of 45. 

It varies between companies, but often insurance only requires a comorbidity if you're between BMI 35 - 40.

One of the main requirements is a BMI of 40, so that is one thing you have going for you as well.  You probably also have a "fatty liver" which you can be tested for and that is another thing that would go your way.  Hope this helps.

Thank you. 

I had to wait six months according to my insurance company's guidelines. As soon as I could after that, I scheduled the surgery. I started in Feb 2011 and had surgery on Oct 4, 2011.

this was the best move I ever made!

good luck on your journey.

I called my insurance company for their guidlines, and they emailed me a link. I thought I was going to have to have 6 months of supervised weightloss, I was wrong, it turned out I needed 6 months of recorded weights. So between PCP visits, and I had a colonoscopy, and the visits with the surgeon that was not a problem. I went to a seminar in April, had first Surgeon appointment on May 5th or 6th where I met with the doc and others in the office and they set me on my course of what I needed to do for appointments etc. They submitted to insurance the beginning of June, I had my surgery July 23rd. Some of the things they make you do are insurance requirements and some of them are what your doctor wants. Doesn't sound like you did things out of order. Some people on here I see don't even meet with the surgeon until they have finished all the pre-op stuff. My surgeon does want you to either go to a seminar or he has an online seminar they want you to watch before you come in. I guess he wants to make sure you understand some of the basics. If there are seminars in your area, it can't hurt to go to one or two.

I had to do an online seminar before they would make me an appointment.  That's been done...now I'm just waiting.  I did call the insurance company yesterday and they do cover WLS with a BMI over 40.  :)