If you used Dr. S in Baltimore.....questions for you

Just curious, what was the length of time between your consult and surgery date? I'm trying to get an idea of when my surgery would potentially happen so I can start planning for help, childcare, etc.
I'll finish my 6 month requirement for Aetna this week, so I'm ready to submit everything to insurance.

Thanks for your help!

I was told to expect a surgery date 6-8 weeks following insurance approval. My consult with Dr. S was Jan. 12 and I'm expecting insurance approval any day. I was told if they were to give me a surgery date right now, my surgery date would be late March, early April.

My consult was Feb 20, 2008 and my surgery was July 29, 2008 so about 5 months. However, I had to fight with my insurance company a bit so they took the full month to approve me and I could have had a June surgery date but postponded to July. I want to say from insurance approval to surgery was about 6 - 8 weeks.

I think my consultation was sometime in October and my surgery date was Jan 3rd, so I would say about 8 weeks... but really I guess it just depends on how many surgeries he has going, holidays had an effect on mine, etc. It would have been longer for me had I not gotten a different psychiatrist appointment since the one they recommended had appointments really far out.   I also dont think Dr S. does many DSs each week, maybe even only one... though don't quote me on that, I could be wrong.

Make sure you follow up with everything you submit  whether it be his office or your insurance company, so you won't be sitting around waiting on something that may not have even been faxed or received.  It happens.

I wish you well in your journey ...

Teri

Oh, and for you and Lann08 both (and anyone else!).  Don't forget we are having a MADS lunch at Rips Country Inn in Bowie this month on Feb 21st.  You would really enjoy meeting other DS post and pre-ops there and many of Dr. S's patients.  :)

Here's the link to the information:
http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/DS/3833181/To-MD-VA-DE-DSe rs-and-anyone-who-wishes-to-join-us/#30709768

Teri

Thanks everyone!

When I was set on RNY at Holy Cross with Dr. Harrington, the whole process was pretty quick. The surgery was scheduled at your consult, and was generally only 3 weeks out. Insurance approval took 24-48 hours.

I know that Dr. S has a massive practice, and I've heard bad things about the office staff, so I just wondered how things compared. I guess I'll start thinking May-ish...

Just STAY ON TOP OF TERESA when the time comes to be submitted to insurance. I was approved in like 5 days once insurance actually received all the paperwork from Teresa.

I got my insurance approval on January 20, and my surgery is scheduled for March 19. Fair warning, though: when they called to schedule my surgery, they told me Dr. S was trying to cut back to only 2 DSes per month as opposed to one every Thursday. The initally offered me April 2, and I had to sort of talk my way into March 19. So, if I took the first date they offered, it would have been just over 10 weeks after insurance approval.

Oh, and my consultation was back in October. Your consult really has no bearing on when you'll actually have the surgery. It's all based on your insurance approval.

I'm going to have Dr. S...and I just completed the online orientation.  I am transferring from a doc in PA (Dr. Bonanni) because it's too expensive, DrS at Hopkins is less.    I don't have a consult date yet, but am wondering....I guess it could be six or so weeks after my consult, if Dr.S accepts all the hoops (blood work, psych eval, nutritionist, etc) that I did for Dr. B.  

Have you been approved by insurance yet? It's more like 6-10 weeks after your insurance approval. The date of your consult is pretty much irrelevant.

I forgot to say that I will be self pay, so there won't have to be ins. approval.