WLS in Alberta

Hi Everyone, Yesterday my mom called a few surgeons in Alberta who do the WLS to find out info for me. They informed her that if I download an application form from the Capital Health weight wise program and have my doctor sign the form and send it in they will put me on a waitlist for the WLS there. There are 2 doctors who work at an Edmonton hospital- I believe it is called The Royal Alex. They have a bariatric clinic there. The assistant told me that Dr. Davey and Dr. Birch accept out of country applications and get ready for this .................are you sititing down....... THEY WILL DO THE SURGERY AT NO COST TO THE PATIENT AS LONG AS YOUR DOCTOR SIGNS THE APPLICATION AND YOU GO ON A WAITLIST. THEY SAID IT WOULD TAKE ABOUT 12-18 MONTHS AT THE MAX TO GET THE SURGERY BUT THEY WILL CALL AND DO IT, NONE OF THIS MONKEY BUSINESS. ALBERTA HEALTH CARE WILL PAY FOR THE COSTS EVEN THOUGH I AM NOT AN ALBERTA RESIDENT. Anyway, I am going to call Monday morning and speak to them personally as my mom called them. But she told them I was a BC resident and was waiting for 2 years and there is only 2 doctors who do the surgery in BC with a waitlist of 600 plus patients, etc.... so I know she gave accurate info but I want to be 100% sure of this as this sounds promising but I don't want to get our hopes up if this is not true. I'll keep you posted and if you are interested I will post the site and application form for everyone to download once I confirm this news. Sim

Thanks for the news Sim. I would like the link to the site and the application. Much appreciated. I am curious...does it just need to be signed by your family doctor or a specialist in bariatric surgery? Janice

Hi Janice, As far as I know your family doctor refers you. Here is the link to the site and application. Go to: www.capitalhealth.ca/weightwise. Then click on physician referral form for the PDF application. Also click on bariatric surgery clinic to read more info about their program there. Sim

So did you call and find anything out? Jody

That is so ironic, I live in Ab , I already waited the 2 years, went to the Dr. got scared of such a major procedure and now I am looking for someone in BC to do the lap band procedure for me. I am told that it will be another 2 years for the lap band to be done here in AB for me.

HI Sim, I just wanted to clarify something I read in your post. Alberta doesn't pay for your surgery as an out of province resident. MSP is actually billed for the procedure, and approval has to come from MSP prior to surgery, just as if you were seeing a surgeon here. You will need to provide your care card number multiple times through the process. I am surprised that you were told 12-18 months for surgery, that is not what I have read on the Alberta boards. I lived in Alberta when I started this process and moved to BC in the middle of it. From the time I spoke to my GP, until the date of surgery was 3.5 years -- 6 months for surgeon to respond to the referral and set a consult date, 18 months to the consult, and then 18 months to the surgery date. I did not have surgery with Capital Health though and they are a little quicker because they have more capacity than my surgeon did. Still, all in all, probably faster than waiting in BC. Maybe your doc could refer to both. I never did understand why doctors don't do that. At any rate, I know many on this board have been searching for a long time. Good luck with your journey. Lori