Surgery process

Hi everyone. I just had a few questions about getting weight loss surgery in Canada. I live in Alberta and from my understanding it can be covered by Alberta health care but apparently it can take up to 2 years so i'm thinking of paying out of pocket.

Could anyone tell me the process ? How long of a wait is it to get the surgery when paying ? Is there any thing i need to do prior to surgery like lose a certain amount of weight first ?

Thanks.

It took me 18 months from referral to surgery. During that time there were tests, usually they make you do a sleep study, appointments with social workers, dietitians, nurses, internist, surgeon, anesthesiologist and of course the original doctor's referral.

All of that was to prepare me for the lifestyle change and to see if I was going to be committed after surgery to that change. The surgery is only a part of the process. Anyone can eat around an RNY or Vertical Sleeve. Sticking with the program for life is the challenge. It's not a matter of eating smaller portions of the same foods that made you obese. It's eating right, tracking your food, taking your supplements, getting blood work regularly, and getting your body moving.

Self pay may shorten the time, but what are you losing by fast tracking? Make sure that you will be receiving the same amount of preparation and after surgery follow up for the following years.

I wish you great success in whichever process you go forward with.

Thanks alot for the reply. I think in Alberta you have to also take some sort of class with other people. The issue with me is i am in the middle of losing weight for the 3rd time and i may be at my goal weight when it's time for surgery so it likely won't be covered anymore. If i lose all this weight again i want to make sure i don't gain it back. I can lose the weight but keeping it off is the big problem.

Just out of curiosity, it seems like doing 18 months of work learning to be healthy and eat properly at the end you wouldn't even need the surgery, no ? If you can go through all that successfully and turn your life around the surgery seems useless especially if it's so easy to eat around it. Or is the surgery more for a back up ?

My process was significantly shorter but I agree with the previous post about taking the time to learn and understand what your signing up for. To your question about whether with all the learning if you still need the surgery.... that?s a complex question. Firstly, it?s one thing to know what to do and another thing to actually do it. I think most of us have been dieting long enough that we know exactly what we should be doing but it is always the challenge of doing it and sticking to it. What the surgery does for you, put simply, is that it makes your stomach small enough that you feel full with small amounts of food which makes it much easier to follow a healthy diet. It is just a tool. You still have to choose what to eat and stay away from foods that aren?t good food you. Some foods will make you sick so it?s impossible to eat but you can still choose things that will slow your progress and eventually cause regain . The learning you are doing prior to surgery is about the medical changes ( ie. eating slowly, no drinking during meals, the eating stages after surgery, etc) Again it wasn?t until after that I was able to put most of what I learned into effect. If you are able to learn and implement a healthy diet prior to surgery than I encourage anyone to do that. I tried over and over in different diets but could never achieve substantial success because I always felt that a was depriving myself and couldn?t wait for the diet to be over. I?m still early out but I don?t feel deprived, I?m am learning to see food differently and enjoy healthier options. There is a lot to consider before having the surgery as it changes your life ( no alcohol for a while, taking vitamins, just to name 2) but it was all worth it to me. I hope that all makes sense and good luck with your decision.

Amanda

Hey Amanda thank you very much for the detailed information. Very valid points. Even if i could get the surgery covered at no charge i would still want to take a while to learn as much as i can and even talk to my psychiatrist and family doctor. I think i might just pay for the surgery and maybe even travel to Mexico since i hear some good things about certain doctors. I still have to do a ton of research.

Thanks for the help.

Your timeline is super quick - I noticed on this forum some folks have a 7-8 month gap from referral to surgery, and some have 12 months +

Anyone have any idea why this is? Of course, those with fewer complications will likely be faster, but curious to see if anyone did anything differently.

It does depend a lot on any follow up tests or appts. I didn't need a sleep test or anything and I only needed some one appt with the Nutritionist, SW, and nurse ( which I made sure to be presented for so that I didn't have to return). I did call for cancellations and was able to get some appts sooner. Hope that helps:)

Hi,

i am in Alberta and my surgery date is May 23,2018. I went for orientation in November 2016. My initial appointment at the bariatric clinic was for January 2017, but I was not able to make that, so my first appointment was in May 2017. The year has just flown by! I have learned so much, about eating, about myself, about eating better. As someone pointed out, we know all these things. I can name the weigh****chers point value of any food. Diets don't work. VSG is another tool for me to use. I thought about self pay to get on quicker, but I believe the things I have learned in the last year will contribute to my success. I wish you well in whichever path you decide to pursue.

Oh wow that's right around the corner, congrats. Just curious, what was the process for you ? You first got a referral from a family doctor ? Did you have to take some sort of group classes ?

Thanks.

I was referred by my family doctor about a month before the orientation. I had to take three classes about healthy eating through Alberta Health Care. They were group classes, not all of the people were there for weight loss surgery. The classes are free of charge and available to anyone with healthcare. I have had monthly visits to the bariatric clinic, nurse, psychologist , surgeon and nutritionist. Lots of support and the support continues for a year post op. I feel the process has been very valuable. I needed this time to prepare for my next stage of this journey.