How long after WLS ...

did you start preparing for Plastics?  I know I want a TT & maybe a breast lift ... knew it from the start.  But I dont know how far out from WLS to even start considering it.  I am only 4 months out & down 75 lbs with 50 more to go to my goal of 160 lbs.  My pannis hangs to my "wooohooo" & it is so irritating :(  

I have Highmark PPO Blue & called them today to even see if it is covered ... the representative was clueless & said your policy covers "WLS pre op & post op, complications & reconstructive surgery".  I asked what surgeries were covered & he said that is all the info he has.  How do I go about finding out what my insurance will cover for sure?  I just don't know where to go .... I don't want to have lots of stuff to do & have to wait a year from the time I decide I lost enough weight & I am maintaining.  Thanks for all the info you guys can scrape up for me.  

You are super lucky if it does cover it.  Mine does not. 

You are lucky if your insurance does cover it. My surgeon would not even discuss plastics until a year out. He prefers to be at least 18 months out and at a stable weight, meaning maintaining for at least 6 months.  I have had two plastic consults and both of those Drs said the same thing, maintain my weight for at least 6 months because if I do a tt and then gain weight, the result of my tt could be ugly.  Does your insurance company have a book that you can look through or maybe you can find a plastic surgeon that deals with them and they may know?

I am going to call my insurance back tomorrow ... maybe get someone that knows & that can send me something.  Next check-up I have with my surgeon (I think 6 months out) I am going to talk to him about recommendations of plastic surgeons & go from there.  Thanks for the info :)

All insurance is different, but in my experience all want to see medical intervention before reconstructive surgery.  I was asked to provide 6 months of medical intervention, and medical documentation of rashes and skin problems, but I had none of that as one really does not get rashes on the backs of their legs....I was able to get my approved as I could document doctor visits for pain, pulling, and balance issues due to the excess skin and tissue on the backs of my legs.  good Luck.

To get the best results I think it's better to be closer to goal but that's just my opinion. I was 20 lbs from goal and the surgeon removed 15 lbs of skin. I was also 18 months post op.

It won't hurt to have several consults with plastic surgeons and see what they say, most offer free consults.

My insurance paid for my panniculectomy but I paid for the LBL with anchor cut. My pannus hung below my pubic area and I had documented rashes from my PCP with pictures.
Good luck. Debi

I personally am not much on planning.. but fly by the seat of my pants.  I had RNY 05/05/04.. and decided last year to check out Plastics.  I had a tummy tuck and breast reduction/lift on 01/05/09.  My insurance paid for my reduction/lift.. I paid for my tummy tuck.

I suppose nothing is set in stone.. just when YOU and your plastic surgeon decides you're ready.  Personally... you will be going thru ALOT of emotional changes.  I would take it a day at a time.. and enjoy and wrap your mind and body around the weightloss for the time being.

best wishes.. 

I had barely hit goal when I had mine done. I went to my PS and his office did all the insurance stuff. I think they know how to get all that paperwork through. If you call your insurance co. they will never tell you what you have. I didn't have to go through all that proving that I needed it. I remember my WLS surgeon telling me from the begining that my insurance co would pay for my panni, so that was my goal. Good luck!!

When I started preparing...
At 4 1/2 months post-op I attended an OH event where there were 5 plastic surgeons on hand as exhibitors, and two of these 5 doctors were lecturing at the event. Because of this I got a crash-course in plastics at the event, and it was a great introduction.

Even though I was not nearly ready for PS at that point, I did a consult with a 5 PS's present at the conference:

Dr #1 was the plenary speaking from the first day of the conference. I met him and thought "this is it, he's really good, his work is amazing, etc." That is, until I met Dr. #2, who coincidentally had been recommended to me at my follow-up visit with my WLS surgeon's NUT the day before the conference. Like a fickle school girl, I feel out of love with Dr. #1 and I "fell" for Dr. #2...

But things changed as soon as I met Dr. #3. I still liked Dr. #2 (by this time I could see that Dr. #1, while a nice enough guy, wasn't as nearly as skilled in terms of his final results as the other two. I could tell, as I talked with Dr. #3 that it would be tough to decide between him and Dr. #2.

Thankfully, Dr. #4 and Dr. #5 were like blind dates where you know immediately that this isn't the guy for you. One of them was kind of creepy. The other was super friendly but I could see from some things he showed me that his surgical skill was lacking (plus, I wasn't too thrilled about his air-headed assistant, nor going to Tijuana, MX for surgery.)

I left this conference know so much more about PS as well as having two doctors whom I thought would be good choices. I kind of slept on all this till I was 8 months post-op, and that is when I started looking into insurance, etc, and started looking at MORE plastic surgeons.

So far, I have seen  a good handful of PS's (including the ones I saw originally at the conference.) Some claim they specialize in post-massive weight loss patients, but their work indicated to me that aesthetically they just were not up to par with Drs #2 and #3.

After second consults in their offices, I found it hard to choose between Dr. #2 and #3, but the more I paid attention, the more I could see that Dr. #3 was the one I *wanted* do to my surgery. I liked Dr #2. very much, but Dr. #3 was just that much better in my opinion. I liked his results better as well as the way he combines procedures -- it all just seemed more streamlined. I was also delighted when I found out that he was a little less expensive than Dr. #2.

So, I would encourage you to start looking sooner tather than later. It doesn't mean that you need to have your surgery until you and the PS you choose determine that you are ready. In retrospect I am glad that I met all those docs earlier than I needed to as I learned a lot, and was able to eliminate a few docs while adding two of them to my short list.

Insurance
It is pretty easy to find out what your insurance requires. Ask the rep you talk to on the phone how to get a written copy of their clinical/utilization management guidelines. Often you can find this info online--if not, have them mail you a copy. It will be a great help to you and your PS in preparing your insurance letter.

Good luck and let us know how things progress!

Thank you so much for all the information!  I did call PS office today ... I will meet with them at the end of the summer & get the ball rolling then.  I will be 7 months out from surgery then ... so that still gives me about a year to gather my info & everything else.  

Thanks again everyone for your info!! I appreciate it!