Weight Loss Surgery FAQs

Please follow these 2 steps:

1. Complete one of our FREE Weight Loss Surgery Seminars. We have both online and in-person options.
2. Complete the Admissions Packet that will be emailed to you after you finish the webinar.

Once you have completed BOTH of these steps please allow approximately 2 weeks for us to process your paperwork and then we will be in touch with the next steps.

Approximately 3 weeks. We will contact you within 2 weeks of receiving your paperwork to schedule an appointment and provide you with more program details. We are working to verify your insurance coverage and get you in with the right provider for your needs.

The length of the program is dictated by your specific insurance requirements and all insurance companies are different. There is usually a minimum requirement of 3 months of visits. Some plans require 6 months. The time starts at your first consultation with the surgeon (Bariatric Assessment visit).

We will call you and explain your specific program requirements and program length before your first consultation.

If you are opting for a cash pay option, you can typically have surgery within 6 weeks or less from initial consultation as long as you complete all program requirements.

Depending on your insurance, costs of the procedure will vary depending on the surgery facility, the type of procedure, and how long you are required to stay in the hospital.

Cash pay options by procedure type can be reviewed here.

Prior to scheduling your initial appointment, our staff will go over procedure coverage and estimated out of pocket expenses with you.

Generally speaking, if you have bariatric benefits as part of your policy, a weight loss surgery procedure will be covered by insurance. Our team will verify your insurance benefits prior to your initial consultation with a surgeon, as long as you have watched our FREE seminar online or in-person and completed your Admissions Packet.

We encourage you to check your benefits as well by calling your insurance provider and asking if you have bariatric surgery coverage. You can also check with your employer for specific information about your policy.

We offer cash pay options as well, so even if your insurance does not cover weight loss surgery, it may still be within reach!

Everyone is different and you will discuss this with your surgeon before the procedure.

Typically:

• Gastric Bypass: 2 night hospital stay. 1-3 weeks recovery time
• Gastric Sleeve: 1 night hospital stay. 1-2 weeks recovery time
• We typically advise to plan to be out of work for 2 weeks.

At Singing River Weight Loss Center, we offer:

• Gastric Sleeve (Sleeve Gastrectomy)
• Roux en Y Gastric Bypass
• Orbera Gastric Balloon
• Medical Weight Management

We also offer lap band removal and revision procedures from previous weight loss procedures.

The procedure most commonly performed is the gastric sleeve (Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy).

Our procedures are explained on our free seminars both online and in-person, which is a required step before starting our program. You will also learn more about each procedure and which one is right for you at your initial consultation with the surgeon.

YES.

Our self-pay (cash pay) packages include one year of follow-up care with your surgeon, six months of hospital readmission protection, all costs associated with the surgery, pre-surgical office visits, facility fees, surgeon fee, anesthesia fee, overnight stay in a qualifying facility (if needed), meetings with nutritionist, and support group meetings.

Patients are also protected against the possible costs related to complications that could arise for up to 180 days following surgery.

Patients must be medically cleared by their surgeon and medical team as well as anesthesia prior to surgery.

Cost of pre-op testing and psychological evaluations are not included in the cash pay package price.

Click here for more information on cash pay options.

• Low BMI Sleeve – $9,999 (BMI 30-34.9)
• Sleeve – $13,000 (BMI 35-75)
• Roux en Y Gastric Bypass – $26,000 (BMI 35-75)
• Band removal/Low BMI Sleeve – Approximately $11,500 (BMI 30-34.9)
• Band removal/sleeve – Approximately $13,500 (BMI 35-75)

Some insurance companies require psychological testing; moreover, it is also a standard of care set by the American Society of Bariatric Surgery. We want to ensure that patients will be able to adjust to the lifestyle changes necessary after weight loss surgery. If test results show that a patient is not likely to be a good candidate for weight loss surgery, we would not proceed with treatment. Weight loss surgery should not be performed on patients who have a higher risk of jeopardizing their health or success after surgery by not following exercise and diet guidelines.

The gastric sleeve surgery takes about one hour and gastric bypass surgery is usually performed in one and a half to two hours.

No, but it would be to your advantage to find one near you or contact our support group leader for an online group. Studies show patients who attend support groups lose 33% more weight than patients who do not attend. We strongly recommend it!

Yes, Singing River Weight Loss Center will allow patients to join our bariatric program. The program is subject to a $300 NON REFUNDABLE program fee.

This fee includes:

• Initial consult with the surgeon
• Nutrition 101 class

This fee must be paid in full at the time the patient comes in for the initial consult with the surgeon.

All subsequent adjustments are NOT billed to insurance and are subject to a $250 cash pay price for 12 months after the date the patient signs the Foreign Procedure contract at the initial consult with the surgeon.

You can reach us at [email protected] or 228-872-7277. We’d love to hear from you!