Bariatric Surgery Melbourne

It is generally recommended that you wait until your weight loss has plateaued before having any cosmetic surgery. This is because, to get the best results, we want your body to have stopped changing.

This usually takes 1.5-2 years but potentially longer if you are panning any pregnancies.

The short answer is yes.
You are more likely to fall pregnant and maintain a healthier weight after pregnancy with even a small amount of weight loss.

It is however important to note that immediately after surgery, during the rapid weight loss period, your body will be in a period of starvation, and it is not advisable to fall pregnant during this time.

Although the foetus has priority over the mother in absorbing nutrients, we generally advise waiting until your weight has stabilized before becoming pregnant. This will usually take 12-24 months to occur.

However, if you do fall pregnant during the period of starvation, our dieticians will work closely with you to ensure the safety of both you and your child.

For more information about pregnancy and bariatric surgery, click on the link to the podcast episode below of pregnant: the podcast about getting pregnant – which features an interview with Dr Lara Freeman discussing the relationship between bariatric surgery and pregnancy.

Listen on Apple Podcasts

We are an all-female specialist team, but we operate on both men and women.

 

Bariatric surgery is currently considered by the Australian government as an important choice when managing overall health and well-being in the overweight population. It is therefore covered under the Medicare rebate scheme.

This means that most of the cost of surgery and aftercare is covered by a combination of your insurance company and Medicare. The exact amount, however, varies between insurers and there is usually an out-of-pocket cost associated with surgery.

Please feel free to make an appointment to discuss exact numbers as related to your specific situation.

It is not compulsory to have a referral when meeting with Dr Freeman for the first time however, having a referral means you will get a portion of the consultation cost back from Medicare.

If you don’t have a regular GP, get in contact with us and we can give you the details of our bariatric specific GP who can assist.

We would normally expect you to return to work after 2 weeks.
It generally takes about 3-4 weeks to get back to normal activities.
You should avoid heavy lifting for 6 weeks.

A degree of fatigue is normal after surgery, and it takes time to adjust to changes in your drinking and eating.

Where possible we encourage you to take at least two weeks off work.

For jobs which require a lot of exertion or heavy lifting, your surgeon will advise you when you can return to light duties and then full duties.

It is important to remember that surgery should be seen as an aid for weight loss, not a replacement for diet and lifestyle modification.

It is vital that eating behaviours are modified to get the best result from the procedure. It is also important to ensure a healthy diet, limiting caloric intake and to slow the speed of eating.

If eating behaviours are not adapted after surgery, weight loss will be limited, or weight regain can be possible in the future.

More detailed information about eating behaviours will be covered during your visit with the dietitian and psychologist.

Yes. Dr Freeman is a qualified general and upper gastrointestinal surgeon.

She often performs surgery for gallbladders, hernias, and hiatus hernia/reflux.
She also does emergency surgery addressing acute pathologies like appendicitis, abscesses, and bowel obstructions.

Please speak to our team if you have a particular concern that you would like addressed.

The time between initial consultation and surgery varies depending on a patient’s particular health situation and concerns.

We have an average investigation and assessment period of 3 months but this, again, will be tailored to your specific needs.

Yes. It is widely recognised that obesity and the range of medical problems associated with it can reduce a person’s life expectancy, and that weight loss surgery is not yet readily available in the public hospital system.
Therefore, the Australian government allows early access to your, or another family member’s, superannuation to cover the costs involved in bariatric surgery.

The application for early super release is processed by the ATO. You will need to fill out an application form and forward the specialist surgeon section to our rooms for completion post initial consultation.

The processing time by the ATO generally takes around 2-4 weeks and allow a further 4-6 weeks for your superannuation fund to release the funds to your personal bank account.

Your safety is our number one priority.
Our specialised multidisciplinary team, including the surgeon, anaesthetist and physician will work together to ensure all tests and preparations are made to avoid undue risks on the day of surgery.

We tailor our approach to your individual needs to ensure all procedures are as safe as possible.