Question:
Has anyone gone around going through a MTF and avoided the long wait?

I have been waiting since December of 03 and done even go to orientation untill June. I will not even get the surgery untill at least September of 04 at best. Has anyone been able to stay prime and see a civilian to skip the long drawn out wait? If so how did you do it? Please help the wait is killing me. I am so not a patient person. I am afraid of getting off the list to have to wait all over again and then take the chance of being denied. Arggg the agony!    — Briana A. (posted on May 6, 2004)

May 5, 2004
Hi, I don't know what all the waiting is about. I went to Cori Centers in the Detroit, Mi. area and was in orientation and surgery within a month after I got all my paperwork in. Dr. Michael Wood is a surperb surgeon. I've had no problems and have just hit the century mark (100 lb.)in 10 months. I know several people that have had the same procedure and everyone has been pleased. Good luck.
   — kkubinski99

May 5, 2004
I have Tricare Prime. In my area, they do not do WLS at the MTF. I was referred to a civilian doctor and had it done there. It took me about 6 months for the entire process. I would suggest that you sit tight. June is just around the corner and September is too. Most civilians have a long wait. It took me over 3 months just to get in with the Surgeon and then another 3 to have the surgery. I don't know. I think you should do what you think is best for you. Good luck.
   — Jan S.

May 6, 2004
I agree with Jan. You're not likely to get it done any sooner going outside the military. Many civilians wait at least that long, or longer. September is only 5 months away. It took me that long from my iniital consult to surgery, and I didn't wait as long as others did. Hang tight. The time goes by faster than you'd imagine.
   — Vespa R.

May 6, 2004
I have Tricare Prime and the AFB close to me, does not do WLS, so I was referred to a surgeon out in town, and I am so glad and thankful for his great skills at WLS. I had no problems, except for the normal, and my surgeon has done many, many Open RNY gastric bypasses. I had a friend that went to a military facility in another state because she did not want to wait for the surgery. She has had problems after problems, I think that a general surgeon at the base only does gastric bypass once in awhile, it is not there speciality. The second problem she ran into, is follow up care, her surgeon was deployed to Iraq and another surgeon saw her for appts, but was not the surgeon that did her surgery. The whole process from my first consulation with my surgeon to surgery was 9 months, but I am so happy now, and so glad that I went to a specialist with gastric bypass instead of the base and a general surgeon. BTW, I am in NO way slamming military surgeons, they are fine surgeons, but they do all different type of surgerys and a WLS surgeon specializes only with gastric bypasses.
   — cindy