Length of time for all of the Pre-Op tests

I am curious as to how long it takes to do all the tests you need to have. I will be going to my doctor and asking for a referral. Once that is done, then what are the next steps.. Guess I better go to a seminar? daaaaaaaaaah.. I hope everyone that get this surgery is successful and happy. I know the pain of being overweight. Chin up CC

Part of it depends on your doctor and your insurance requirements. My insurance requires a psych eval, nutrition consult, surgeon consult, and medical criteria like 100 pounds or more to loose, and obesity for at least 5 years, etc. They do not require specific labs. For my own peace of mind I requested a cardiology clearance, and my doc feels a treadmill exercise stress test is all that I'll need, so that is scheduled. I also have a sleep study scheduled next week, so actually I have my tests already scheduled through my PCP, knowing that my surgery (being morbidly obese) is high-risk for complications, so when I see Dr. Rawlins mid June, I'll have everything I can already done or scheduled. He may have other tests he wants, but I have already got my stuff organized for now. As for how long it takes to get your testing done, that probably depends on your town - if you are in a small town, or you are on an insurance that is pretty strict about which facilities you can use, you may have to wait longer for an appointment. If you have lots of freedom and a large town, you can probably get your stuff done within a couple weeks. Besides looking at the "Journey" link, the first step I'd suggest is calling your insurance company to find out if gastric bypass is a covered benefit, and what the authorization requirements are (each will have rules about what hoops to jump through if they cover it at all). That way, when you go to your PCP, you can say "I know my insurance will want (blah, blah, blah) so I'd like to get that started; unless you really want to see the surgeon first to make sure he/she thinks you are a candidate and what you need. Since there is usually quite a wait for a consult, I'd try to get my requirements out of the way before the consult, so all he/she has to do is your exam, instructions, approve and operate!