Waiting Times

I have searched the forum to get an idea of approximate waiting times for WLS here in Ontario but can only find older posts. For those of you who have recently had surgery, what was the waiting time likeÉ

I am just starting the process (hoping for a referral next week) and am curious about the length of the journey. Is it still between 18 months- 2 years in general? I`m in Ottawa if that matters...

Thank You!

It seems to be diff everywhere center to center i am out of humber dont know much about there wait sorry. Welcome everyone on here is great so many helping others could not of got this far without everyone's help Niki

 It's a common question and one that has no firm answer. There are so many factors that you can't really say it's going to take this long or that long.

Some things to consider:
There are many appointments to see many specialists to make sure you can stand up to the rigors of having this surgery and the issues that surround it. They check you out top to bottom and if there are any issues that you have, they take a good hard look at them to see if they can be managed or if they would cause too much risk for you. For some it's just the basics while for others it's a long process. I had three different heart tests, a gastroscopy, and two sleep studies on top of the regular series of examination. 

Scheduling takes time as well. If your close to where they are going to do all the testing, you may be able to fit in on short notice when someone has canceled their appointment. Otherwise, you have to wait until there is an opening which could be months down the road. Others are accessed and go through the same process as you. So as you can see, things can take quite a while depending on the cir****tances of everyone in the system.

One thing that is for sure, it will seem like forever, right up until your surgery date gets close, then it's all coming at you in a blur and before you know it, it's past and you're out and about with your new lease on life. 

So when it's hard, hang in there. We've all been there and know what it's like. This is a great place for support so don't be shy about it. 

All the best.

 Great question and welcome Melissa.M!

and a wonderful, informative response too.....best wishes on your journey

Nancy

You can look around at people's signatures.

Toronto is the best, (6-8 months) Guelph Hamilton second best, (1 yr t0 18 months) and Ottawa & Windsor the pits (2 years).

This is approximate.

Best wishes.

Thank you for the responses. It just sounds like such a long wait, especially when you want it done NOW! LOL  I understand there is a protocol that has to be followed for health reasons and I get that. Patience is a virtue, right? I'm just right at the beginning of the process and I get so excited by seeing how well you have all done. It gives me hope that maybe one day I can be successful at this, too.  I'm scared and apprehensive but have researched WLS for years...it's taken me this long to get the guts to face my obesity (gosh, I hate saying that) so I guess I can wait a little bit longer. For now I can live vicariously through all of you! :)

im in ottawa and I still consider myself a newbie :) my timelines below. I belive I would have already been to the surgery class and possibly met the surgeon weeks ago if I didnt need an mri :( but hopefully after oct 3rd everything with be fine, and ill keep moving along. its worth the wait, time really does fly.

I'm with TWH...June 5th and I have two more appointments November 16th and then have to wait to meet the surgeon I am HOPING for surgery Jan/Feb. I really WAS hoping for Nov/Dec however doesn't look like that will happen since I can't seem to move up my Nov appointments!

I'm in Ottawa and you can see how long it took from my timeline below.  I was just over one year for wait time.