Guest guest Posted June 21, 2001 Report Share Posted June 21, 2001 Do all insurance companies wait until after the surgery is scheduled and just before the schedule date to approve? Why? Why can't they approve this beforehand? someone said they were in surgery for EIGHT HOURS?! I don't want to be in surgery for eight hours - this makes me think I should try for a Dr. who does lap surgery, although I was thinking of going to Hess, since I live in OH, and I think he only does open. Does it seem that the people who get lap surgery have less pain and feel better sooner? I luckily have never been cut open in mylife and and I am not looking forward to that. This is scarey! Carole Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 21, 2001 Report Share Posted June 21, 2001 Carole: In the first place I was approved in two weeks. And my wife Joy was approved in one week. We had a good long time to wait before the surgery. We have United Health Care PPO Options. Secondly, the lap DS tends to take longer than open, not shorter. Though of course every surgery is different. Regards. Joe Frost, old gentleman, not old fart San , Tx., 60 years old Surgery 11/29/00 by Dr. Welker Lateral Gastrectomy with Duodenal Switch 340 Starting Weight, currently 230.5 http://www.duodenalswitch.com/Patients/Joe/joe.html http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WLS-12StepRecovery > Do all insurance companies wait until after the surgery is scheduled and just > before the schedule date to approve? Why? Why can't they approve this > beforehand? > someone said they were in surgery for EIGHT HOURS?! I don't want to be in > surgery for eight hours - this makes me think I should try for a Dr. who does > lap surgery, although I was thinking of going to Hess, since I live in OH, > and I think he only does open. Does it seem that the people who get lap > surgery have less pain and feel better sooner? I luckily have never been cut > open in mylife and and I am not looking forward to that. > This is scarey! > Carole Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 21, 2001 Report Share Posted June 21, 2001 > Do all insurance companies wait until after the > surgery is scheduled and just before the schedule > date to approve? I've never heard of such a thing. I've always understood it to be the other way around -- you get the ins approval first, then the surgery date. Otherwise, the surgeons would go nuts rescheduling surgeries all the time. > someone said they were in surgery for EIGHT HOURS?! Sounds awfully long to me. I think that 3-5 is a much more average range. > I don't want to be in surgery for eight hours Why not? Time passes really quickly under general anesthesia. << >> Just kidding. I wouldn't want to be " under " for eight hours either. > this makes me think I should try for a Dr. who does > lap surgery, although I was thinking of going to Hess, > since I live in OH, and I think he only does open. > I luckily have never been cut open in mylife and and > I am not looking forward to that. This is scarey! Yes, this is scary, especially for those of us whose only surgical experience is the WLS. But don't choose your surgeon based on irrational fears! If you need help dealing with anxiety, (I know I did), find a good psychiatrist and ask for some meds. (I highly recommend Paxil.) This is a very complex and difficult surgery to perform well. Your primary consideration right now should be to find yourself the best surgeon you can. Dr. Hess basically created this surgery -- he is The Man! In my opinion, it would be nuts to go to nearly anyone else if it's possible for you to go to Dr. Hess. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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