Question:
What all is there in the time of 1st visit until date of surgery?

Meaning: What kind of doctors will you be seeing?    — Sheila S. (posted on July 31, 2001)

July 31, 2001
This will deffinately vary from person to person and insurance company to insurance company. I would say most of the time you talk to your Primary Care Physician for a referral, then to a surgeon to consult with him. Sometimes you will also be sent for labs, and a psychiatrich evalution. Some insurance companies and surgeons I've heard will require you to go see a nutristionist or other specialist for any other co-morbids you have to make sure they won't get in the way of your surgery. Your best bet will to be to contact your insurance company and find out what thier guidlines are, and then consult with your surgeon and s/he can tell you what will be expected of you with their course of treatment.
   — Elizabeth D.

July 31, 2001
I agree w/ Elizabeth, all insurance co.'s are different. In my case I will be referred by my PCP. ( I've already picked my Lap surgeon) All my insurance requires is 2 attempts at WL under a doctors' supervision. no pysc eval. etc.
   — Cindee A.

August 3, 2001
My surgeon required me to have: (1) psych consult, (2) nutritional consult, (3) endocrine consult w/ blood work, (4) pulmonary function tests and consult, (5) gallbladder ultrasound, and (6) cardiology consult with echocardiogram. Everything has been painless so far, and actually rather interesting. The surprise to me was how long it took to get some of the consult appointments. It is a 6 week wait for my pulmonary function test! Some people have waited months for the nutritional consult, especially if their surgeon required a specific nutritionist. So, be prepared, sometimes it can take a few months to get through all the consults.
   — Kathy J.

January 6, 2004
Wow, everything has gone real smoothly for me. I got nutri., psych, evals both scheduled in less than 3 min. My PCP handled everything along with my endocrinologist that, stress tests, blood work, sleepstudy. I didn't have anything to do but wait until my consult.
   — Cindi D.