After a consultation, how long would a patient usually have to wait to get a surgery date?

Question

I need the surgery done as soon as possible because after i get this done my husband would like for us to move back to his foreign country, therefor I would need to get it don't and be well recovered in order to go back with him! But how long of a wait is it to actually get a date set?

Ira H. Rex III, MD · Answer

The sequence starts with a consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon after which a form or letter is submitted to your insurance company. After a reply, the surgery is scheduled. Usually, the most time-consuming part is the insurance company review. If you are paying for surgery yourself, this would not be required. Many offices could see you for consultation and then schedule surgery within a number of weeks. Let the office manager know about your situation.

Donovan Rosas, MD · Answer

This is more of an administrative question. The answers will vary greatly from practice to practice and surgeon to surgeon. Technically speaking, following consultation the medical hurdles include lab work and medical clearance. Once these have been addressed, there are no patient related obstacles to surgery...surgeon related issues may persist. There are also issues of availability (busy practices may be booking further in advance) and payment.As always, discuss your concerns with a board certified plastic surgeon (ABPS).

Navid Jallali, MB ChB (Hons), MD, FRCS (Plast) · Answer

This depends on the country that you reside in. In the UK it is generally accepted that there should be a minimum of 10 day 'cooling off' period between consultation and surgery.

Jennifer Greer, MD · Answer

If a procedure needs to be pre-approved by insurance, this process can take up to 6 weeks. If the procedure is cosmetic then the wait time depends on how busy the physician is, and how long the surgery takes (it may take longer to find a 5 hour block of time on the surgery schedule, than a 2 hour block, for example). The best way to find out is to call some Plastic Surgeons in your area and ask.

David Mattos, MD · Answer

Great question. The two primary drivers of how long it takes to set a date are your surgeon and your insurance. Ask your surgeon how far out he is booking for surgery. If he doesn't have a slot in the schedule for surgery for 6 months, then even if you get approved before then, it won't be able to happen for 6 months. And then it takes another 2 months to fully recovery from the surgery. For surgeons who may have more flexibility sooner, the limiting factor is insurance. After you submit the necessary letters, etc. for insurance approval, it usually takes 1-3 weeks to get a response, and some of that depends on your insurance provider. After that date, a surgical date can be picked. 
-Dr. David Mattos, New York Plastic Surgical Group

Tracy Kayan, MD · Answer

Assuming your schedule is completely free, the wait time will depend on the time it takes to come in and see your surgeon for a consultation, the time it takes for your insurance to approve it, and the wait time to schedule surgery due the surgeon's schedule. This can be as little as 1 month or upwards of 6 months, depending on how busy or available your surgeon is. For this reason, you should find several Board Certified surgeons you would be happy with and see who can get your surgeon done the soonest. If time is really of the essence, you can skip insurance altogether and pay out of pocket, in which case you can expect to pay anywhere from $6000-$9000 for the surgery.

Bahram Ghaderi, MD · Answer

Timing from consultation to surgery will vary widely depending on the type of procedure you are interested in, your comfort level with making decisions quickly and if any health checks need to be completed as well as possible mammogram, or insurance approval. Typically it is best to meet with your surgeon at least twice before your surgery to make sure you have all your questions answered and you feel confident about the process and surgeon. Having surgery within about 2-4wks from the time of your consult can be accomplished. You have to also consider your recovery time and follow-up appointments before moving. The best thing to do is start with a consultation and come up with a plan and timeline that meets your needs.

Peter E. Johnson, MD · Answer

For some once they have made up their mind they are ready to go, and we like to offer a date within a week or two of consultation if they are certain. The type of breast surgery will also be factor in when you feel ready to travel.

Daniel M. Calloway, MD · Answer

The timing of surgery is usually determined by the type of surgical problem and the level of urgency.  Elective surgery refers to the fact that the surgery is non-emergent and the patient's health allows orderly evaluation of the problem including consultation, evaluation with necessary tests and studies, and scheduling to allow the patient sufficient time to arrange for the necessary "down time" with postoperative recovery.If the problem is an insurance related benefit, then the insurance company may require additional time for pre-authorization of the procedure(s), and if denied, additional time will be required for the appeal process.  If the procedure is "self-pay" such as with cosmetic surgery, timing is usually dictated by availability of the surgeon and the operating room, as well as the patient's desired recovery schedule.

Paul Silverstein, MD (retired) · Answer

If there is no insurance pre-certification involved, and is a cosmetic procedure, I try to get my patients booked within 2 weeks of their consultation.  I they know their schedule we can sometimes book their surgery at the time of their consultation.

After a consultation, how long would a patient usually have to wait to get a surgery date?

Answers (10)

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