Patient Resources
At Surgical Weight Loss and Advanced General Surgery Langtree, we aim to ease your fears surrounding weight loss surgery. Our dedicated program includes a specially trained team of professionals who will work closely with you and your primary care physician to create a personalized plan that promotes your physical and emotional well-being.
Step One: Call Your Insurance Company
Check to make sure weight loss surgery is covered by your plan. Criteria for coverage will vary among insurance companies. Below are some questions you may ask your insurance company to determine eligibility.
- Is weight loss surgery covered under my insurance plan?
- Which of these operation codes are covered: Adjustable Gastric Band 43770, Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy 43775, Gastric Bypass 43644?
- Do I need to complete a medically supervised diet? If yes, for how long?
Step Three: Meet with the Surgeon
After deciding that this is something you would like to pursue, please call the office to schedule an appointment with the surgeon. During the consultation, the doctor will have an opportunity to go through your medical history, decide which surgery is best for you and discuss your desires and expectations regarding weight loss surgery.
Step Four: Attend Consultations
To meet established guidelines for weight loss surgery, consultations with a registered dietician, a physical therapist and a behavioral health specialist are required. These consultations will help to prepare you for the rigors of weight loss surgery. Other consultations may be deemed necessary by the surgeon based on your medical history.
To schedule your consultation, call (704) 660-4584.
Step Five: Pre-operative Appointments
You are moving forward with surgery and to prepare you for your new beginning, will need to attend the following appointments:
- Support group - Meets the third Wednesday of every month and gives you an opportunity to network with both pre- and post-surgical clients.
- Financial counseling - To review any expenses that may be incurred.
- Workshop - Pre-operative education with the program's registered nurse and registered dietitian.
- Pre-operative testing - To complete necessary laboratory and diagnostic testing, as well as meet with a member of the anesthesia team.
Resources
- For your first appointment, please bring:
- Completed new patient forms
- Medical information - Please bring copies of any letters or medical records from other health care providers. Medical records for the past 5 years are necessary to file for insurance and to give the doctors a complete medical history.
- Physician recommendation - If filing for insurance, please provide a written recommendation for weight-loss surgery from your primary care physician.
- Diet/weight-loss info - Any documentation proving you participated in any diet/weight loss attempts. (This includes office notes, receipts or prescriptions.)
- Insurance card
- Driver's license
- Physician referral - If your insurance plan requires a referral for this consultation, please contact your primary care physician and have one faxed to our office fax at (704) 660-4967 before your appointment.
- Release of medical records - To have records sent from our office to another physician/practice, print forms, complete and fax or bring them to our office.
- Notice of privacy practices - Please be advised of how medical information may be used by reviewing the privacy practices notice. You will be asked to sign an acknowledgement that you have read the notice.
- If you are traveling for surgery, the following links may be helpful:
- We offer convenient self-pay packages* that include:
- Surgeon fee, including initial consultation, personalized seminar and one year follow up
- Hospital fee, including preoperative labs, EKG, upper GI series and postoperative upper GI series
- Anesthesia fee
- Nutrition evaluation
- BLIS insurance, complication insurance
- Preoperative liquid diet
*Self-pay prices are dependent on your BMI and are subject to change. Please call our office to find out the current self-pay price for your chosen procedure.
We want to assist you throughout the process. If you have any questions, please call our office at (704) 660-4584.