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 lll, 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

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

Answers (10)