FAQ

I participate in the national bariatric registry. This registry enables us to keep track of long term weight loss results for different operations and surgeons. I enter all my patients in this which is linked to your Medicare number. If we don’t make contact by consultation or phone annually they should contact you.

Private health insurance highly recommended. Having private insurance for 1 year is significantly cheaper than paying completely out of pocket and enables better postoperative care or any skin fold surgery.

With appropriate level of private insurance for 2023 out of pocket *

• Sleeve Gastrectomy $4,600
• Lap band * ask on consultation
• Removal of lap band – no gap
• Gastroscopy and/or colonoscopy – no gap

* you may have a gap for going to hospital- please check with your medical insurance company

Weight loss surgery should be very safe.

General risks of anaesthetic, blood clots, cardiorespiratory problems

Sleeve Gastrectomy: leak < 1% primary, ?3-4% redo surgery, bleeding requiring return to theatre < 1%, organ damage rare. Kinking or stricturing of sleeve(see surgical technique), reflux, late sleeve dilatation, irreversible but can be revised

Lap band: safest initial surgery, same general risks as sleeve

Late: band slippage 6%, erosion 1%, band intolerance 1%, problems with over tightening

You need to consider risks of further surgery if lap band does not work for you.

We can direct you to the appropriate Dietitian for your bariatric needs, please contact the office on 51740036 or discuss at your appointment with Mr Scott.

These will be somewhat tailored to your geographical position and requirements. I consult from Traralgon, Warragul and Berwick. Some patients may need to see an anaesthetist on a day prior to their surgery. Phone consultations can be arranged for patients long distances from a clinic.

47% Excess weight loss (EWL) for lap band, 60% for sleeve gastrectomy at 5 years are commonly mentioned figures, but read on. EWL is your pre surgery weight minus your weight at a BMI of 25 as a percentage. Lap band patients have a wide range of weight losses that can’t be predicted beforehand although there seems to be less variation amongst surgeons. While sleeve gastrectomy has been around for several decades there have been a number of modifications that will probably result in greater weight loss than 60% at 5 years. 10% weight regain at 5 years seems likely. With my current technique initial weight losses of over 80% excess weight are common.

Your surgery will take place at Maryvale Private Hospital, located at 286 Maryvale Road Morwell. While this is a regional hospital the theatre equipment is the same as in a city hospital. We have performed over a hundred bariatric procedures a year over the last 15 years. The hospital staff are used to looking after bariatric patients.

Low calorie diet 2 weeks prior to operation.

Surgery usually takes less than 1 hour, calibration balloon used for accurate pouch size, gastro-gastric sutures to lower risk of slip. Fluids when awake from operation. Home after overnight stay. Fluids that fit through straw first 2 weeks, soft diet 3 weeks then solids. First adjustment a 6 weeks. Usually 4-5 adjustments to get to optimum level of tightness over next few months.

• Sleeve Gastrectomy: 31575
• Lap Band: 31569
• Removal of lap band: 31584

You will need these numbers when asking your health insurance provider about out-of-pocket costs.

Your fertility will be improved and your obstetric risk lowered with weight loss surgery.

It is best not to get pregnant in the first year after your surgery (if possible).

Lap band patients will need fluid progressively removed through their pregnancy in part to reduce the presumed increased risk of band slippage.

2 weeks prior to your surgery you will need to be on a very low calorie diet to shrink the size of your liver. This is very important to stick to as it makes the operation safer. This is 3 Optifast meal replacements a day. Salad and vegetables allowed but no frut, meat,  dressing or gravy. Zero calorie liquids.

Previous surgery on your abdomen in general doesn’t usually preclude a sleeve gastrectomy. Previous surgery on your stomach needs to be discussed with the surgeon.

Private insurance is not required for an initial consultation or information night, but is highly recommended for surgery.

If you have suffered from reflux please tell your surgeon.

A well positioned and adjusted lap band will tend to improve reflux and the converse.

A sleeve gastrectomy is an intrinsically refluxogenic operation, especially initially. Some surgeons will not perform a sleeve on a patient with bad reflux. Other surgeons will look carefully and repair any hiatus hernia and/or tighten the region of the gastroesophageal junction in such patients which is my practice.

2 weeks is typical, although this obviously differs between patients and the type of work. Average 3 days in hospital. Typical range 2-4 days.