If you're paying out of pocket, you can usually have gastric sleeve surgery much faster than if you were going through insurance. Many self-pay patients are able to schedule their procedure within a few weeks to a month after their initial consultation, depending on the surgeon’s availability and any necessary pre-op requirements. The biggest factors that determine how quickly you can have surgery are the surgeon’s schedule, the hospital’s availability, and any required pre-op testing. Most clinics will require bloodwork, an EKG, and possibly an endoscopy or imaging tests. These can typically be completed within a week or two if scheduled right away. Another important factor is the pre-op diet, which is usually a two-week liquid diet to shrink the liver and make surgery safer. If you have any medical conditions, your surgeon may require clearance from other doctors, which could add some time to the process. If you want to have surgery within a month, it’s possible as long as the surgeon has an opening and you complete all the pre-op steps on time. To speed things up, it’s best to schedule your consultation as soon as possible and ask about the fastest timeline for self-pay patients.