Question:
Should I schedule a consultation now?

I had my surgery on 1/28/03 and have lost 123 lbs. I currently weigh 180, but I would like to get down to 165. I will need some plastic surgery, for sure. I was wondering if I should schedule a consultation with the plastic surgeon now, or if I should wait until I hit my goal. My weight loss has slowed to about 1-2 lbs per month. Also, do the plastic surgeons help you apply with insurance to see if they will cover some. My RNY doc's office took care of all my insurance stuff before WLS. Any comments are appreciated.    — Alicia K. (posted on March 3, 2004)

March 3, 2004
Hi Alicia and congratulations! If you are clear on the areas you want improevd, I suually recommend starting the process early for several reasons. You may want to see several docs to see who best meets your needs. The process of approval can take at least a month, sometimes more. Time off varies between 2 and 5 weeks, depending on the surgery or surgeries you want done. So my preference is to meet prospective patients in advance, begin planning the process, and then see them again when they are 10-20lbs from their goal.
   — DrL

March 3, 2004
You should start checking out plastic surgeons now. Since your within 20 pounds of your goal weight, they could do surgery on you now. You want to interview several to hear what their ideas are for you and see who you feel most comfortable with. I looked at several and also talked to people who had surgery with these doctors and saw there work. There was one who is recommended by my WLS doctor who I would NEVER go to after I saw the shabby work he did on a couple of patients. A good PS will also write a letter of medical necessity for you, but I also wrote one for myself. You might want to have your PCP do a letter for you also. This helps in the insurance getting approved. Ultimately, it will be the pictures of how much skin you have to remove that should determine if plastic surgery is covered.
   — Patty H.