Just curious

[Orangebrittainy]

How long did it take to get a date after you started talking to a surgeon?

ETA

How much say did you have in the timing of your surgery?

 

[Luana]

I was able to get a date that was less than a week after the first time I met with the surgeon (he had a cancellation). It was too soon for me, so it was done about a month later.

 

[Penny]

Hi Britt (can I call you that?) lol
I saw my surgeon on May 31st and had surgery July 13th so pretty much a month and a half.. Keep in mind, it all depends on the urgency and what level of risk you are at. You may even find your surgery may get bumped if the hospital has an emergency situation.. good luck

 

[Orangebrittainy]

Just trying to get a general idea.

 

[kfay]

I was offered a surgery date for the same time I was going to first meet my surgeon. I preferred to meet him first. So, I was then offered a day about a month later, decided that was too soon and finally made a kept an appt. that was 4 months from that initial meeting.

 

[dick0236]

They wanted too do it in the fall of 1966 but I put it off for about nine months until I graduated from college. I had no difficulty getting a date....but patients weren't lined up for surgery then, like they are today.

 

[Lynlw]

Alot of it has to do with where you want to have your surgery/how busy the surgeon is. Some of the larger centers are usually booked a month or 2 out unless you are an ER case. IF you want to pick a date a few months away, because you want to wait for osome reason, then you usually can get the time frame you want. Also like other mentioned, you also may get bumped at the veyry last min, especially if you are having surgery at a hospital that does Transplants ect.

 

[Eva]

My surgeon was ready to perform the surgery one week after meeting with him. I was not ready mentally. I also wanted to interview other surgeons. I had it done after about six months from initial visit.

 

[Eva]

My surgeon was ready to perform the surgery one week after meeting with him. I was not ready mentally. I also wanted to interview other surgeons. I had it done after about six months from initial visit.

 

[nngbwh]

I met with my surgeon that week and surgery was set for the following week. He say if I am busy I will make time for your surgery.

 

[buncle]

I met my surgeon at about 2 weeks.He said there wasnt a big hurry so I scheduled surgery for 6 weeks later.

 

[ARGreenMN]

They wanted me to do it within 3-4 wks after my angiogram (which is when they knew I needed surgery) but I was able to push it out 5 wks due to stuff going on at work. So at least sometimes (if not a super emergency) you can have some say.

 

[Duffey]

The first time I talked to a surgeon, I was given a time frame of 9 months. I was teaching school, and he felt that surgery could wait until we stopped for the summer.

The surgeon who did my surgery saw me on May 17 and wanted to operate the next week. I had suffered a significant TIA, and he had an opening in his surgery schedule. I asked if we could wait until school dismissed for the summer (two weeks away) and he was agreeable. I actually underwent replacement on June 7.

 

[Cris N]

I met my surgeon on a Friday and had surgery the following Monday. Actually, surgery was exactly 2 weeks from physical with PCP.

 

[Jkm7]

My surgeon set the date with me at my only pre-surgery office appointment. It was 30 days from the date I met with him (second surgery in four years with same surgeon) and most of the wait was because he wanted me off certain medications for 21 days prior to my surgery. His first free surgical slot was 7 days later.

 

[kpearse]

Saw my surgeon on a tues, had my OH on that Friday. Hey penny, you had your surgery on my Birthday!

 

[sweetbanker]

Surgeon looked at my echo and wanted to do it asap due to the pains I was experiencing in my left arm when I was walking . I needed to wait about 6 weeks until my daughter finished school and he still had to rearrange his schedule

 

[Marcia58]

I started having symptoms on 2/17/09. Ended up admitted to the hospital for a 23 hour rule-out on 2/20/09 because my cardio was worried about silent a-fib. Followed up with cardio on 2/23/09. Had a phone interview with my surgeon on 2/27/09. Scheduled date for surgery a couple days later. Met him in person on 3/25/09. Had surgery on 3/26/09. I could've had it a week earlier, but my husband teaches, so I waited for his spring break.

FWIW. some medical staff called me "mild to moderate" and some called it "moderate to severe"!

 

[Lily]

We ended up consulting with three surgeons -- we wanted to be sure.

One of them thought I could wait a few months. I was hoping to do just that, so I could push back building on my insurance deductible for the beginning of a new year. But after another surgeon had an angiogram performed on me, they said I had, "weeks, not months." My surgery was a week and a half later. I think if you find an excellent surgeon (and you can look for one with high recommendations and lots of experience) they will operate at the right time, before more heart damage can occur.

 

[Bill B]

I met with the surgeon in early July. He said I needed the surgery before the end of the year. I was called by his staff saying they could tke me after late August and gave me some dates. I picked October 21st.