Question:
How long does a person usually have to wait for the Dr to schedule surgery?

My insurance approved it right away and the surgeon seems to think I am too eager to have the surgery and will not schedule. Is this normal?    — annette N. (posted on December 30, 2002)

December 30, 2002
Hi! - All surgeons are different but I got a surgery date on my first appointment. Tracy
   — tracyr

December 30, 2002
Be persistent! Talk to the doctor's nurse or receptionist if you can't get an answer from him. Also, follow-up with the doctor and ask him if there's any other "paperwork" he might need so you can get your date scheduled. Again, be persistent!
   — dolphins94

December 30, 2002
Everybody is anxious that comes in for weight loss surgery, what is he nuts!?!? He might be saying that because he has a lengthy battery of tests and consults lined up for you, or he may just have a very long waiting list for surgery. Ultimately, if he's not giving you the answers you want, go elsewhere :-) You got your approval. It will be fairly easy to just switch it onto another surgeon.
   — thumpiez

December 30, 2002
From the time of my initial consult till surgery was about 6 weeks.
   — Valerie H.

December 31, 2002
I received my appointment the day they received my approval code from insurance. Surgery was once month later. Of course your excited! Geez, if you were missing a leg and they were going to give you a new one, wouldn't you be excited? I don't see the difference here! Maybe you could point that out to him. If that doesn't work, I'd seriously be seeking a doctor who better understands me and my needs. Nothing worse than a post-op with a bad doc/patient relationship.
   — [Deactivated Member]

December 31, 2002
It took me 1 year from the time of my initial consult until my surgery. At the initial consult, the surgeon sent me for some additional tests which took a long time. At my monthly support meeting, we had a guest speaker who is one of the prominent WLS surgeons in our area. He told us that they deliberately make folks wait until they have a good understanding of the lifestyle changes that will need to take place after surgery. This improves outcomes. WLS is not a solution, it is only a tool to assist in weight loss. It is important for every patient to realize that you MUST change your eating habits after WLS. I read here about a death yesterday of a 1 year post-op who died of kidney failure because he was no longer following the eating and drinking rules that are dictated by WLS. It always breaks my heart when I hear those stories. It's also discouraging when I hear stories of folks who are eating inappropriately (lots of carbs, low protein) and complaining that the surgery "isn't working for them". Use this time to ensure that you have a good appreciation of the changes you will have to make to ensure long term success and health!
   — JoAnn B.