What To Expect from Weight Loss Surgery Perth

Our Promise

At WALOS, Dr Kevin Dolan and his team are committed to helping you lose weight permanently.

If you decide to go ahead with surgery our doctors will talk you through the process and make sure you are in the best health possible before undergoing any procedures. Our promise to you is that we will offer every patient:

• Professionalism: Our doctors are experts in the field of bariatric surgery and our team of support staff are dedicated and friendly.
• Commitment: We will help you beat obesity by providing you with the best care possible and monitoring your progress as you undergo treatment and recovery
• Support: We will provide you with the care and assistance you need to adjust your lifestyle and diet, and achieve your weight loss goals

Your journey

The first step you take towards losing weight and improving the quality of your life is often the hardest to take. At [WALOS] we understand the challenges you will face and will do everything we can to support you.

Patients who have just started on their journey have a lot of questions about their condition, weight loss, and their options for treatment. You can find out more about obesity , bariatric surgery , and the different types of surgical treatments we offer for weight loss on our website.

We have also answered some frequently asked questions below.

For more information call our surgery and book a consultation today.

How do I know is surgery is the right option for me?

Deciding whether surgery is an appropriate for treatment for your condition can be difficult. Our doctors and staff are here to make the decision making process as simple as possible.

From your first consultation our doctors will make sure that you are equipped with all the information you need to move forward in your weight loss journey. They will discuss your medical history, long term goals, and current health with you and answer any questions you may have about the benefits and risks of surgical treatment.

How do I prepare for surgery?

Your doctor will run a series of tests before surgery to ensure that you are healthy enough to undergo the procedure safely.

The steps you must take to prepare for surgery will depend on the procedure you undergo. For all surgeries you will need to limit or abstain from food the day before surgery. WALOS will provide a preoperative preparation plan based on your needs and surgery.

How long will surgery take?

Sleeve gastrectomy usually takes 60 minutes, and gastric bypass 90 minutes. Revisionary weight loss surgery takes twice as long as first time surgery. Your doctor will discuss the details and timing of the procedure with you prior to your surgery.

How will I feel when I wake up in the recovery room?

You may feel a little sleepy until the anaesthetic and any other medication prescribed for pain wears off. This usually only takes an hour or two. During this time your recovery and health will be carefully monitored by hospital staff.

Will I be in a lot of pain?

Most bariatric surgical procedures are non-invasive, meaning that the need for incisions and stitching is reduced and any pain in minimal. After surgery you may feel some tightness or aching across your chest, stomach, and shoulders. This pain should not be severe enough to stop you from sitting, standing or walking normally.

How long will it take me to recover?

A majority of patients only need to stay in hospital for 24 hours after surgery, although others may need to rest up for several days before they have recovered enough to return home.

You will need to arrange to take a week or two of leave from work and move carefully. This means you will need to avoid driving or strenuous physical activity for two weeks.

Your doctor will provide you with strict instructions on how to ensure your recovery at home is smooth. These instructions will include a timetable for recovery, gentle exercises to help you stay active, and a detailed meal plan.

What can I eat?

For the first seven days after your surgery you will need to stick to an all liquid diet. After that you will be able to start introducing protein shakes and skim milk into your diet.

When you have recovered enough to ingest solid foods it is important that you develop and stick to a healthy diet which incorporates:

• Fresh fruits and vegetables
• Healthy proteins (i.e. eggs, lean meats, low fat cheeses, fish and yogurt)
• Fibre (cereals and supplements like metamucil)
• Carbohydrates (at least 50 grams every day)
• A range of vitamins and minerals (i.e. iron, folate, calcium, vitamins A, B12, and D)

What happens after weight loss surgery?

After your surgery your doctor will provide you with ongoing support and a detailed care plan. You will also attend a number of follow up appointments so that your doctor can monitor your weight loss and recovery.

Remember: To ensure that your recovery is safe and consistent, and that your weight loss is healthy and permanent it important that you follow your doctor’s instructions precisely.

What do I do now?

If weight loss surgery is an option you would like to consider then get in touch with our friendly staff and make an appointment for a consultation with our doctors. Alternatively, you can approach your GP for a referral first.

Don’t put it off any longer. Start your weight loss journey today!

Clinical Assessment

Patients who are obese undergo weight loss (bariatric surgeries) to help bring them back to a normal BMI. Your surgeon performs certain assessments or tests prior to the surgery. These assessments are performed to check your general health, behavioural health, current life situation, motivations and expectations. If there are any abnormal findings in your clinical assessments, your treatment team will be asked to make appropriate changes.

• Behavioural health includes assessment of your previous attempts at losing weight, eating and dietary habits, physical activity, health related risk taking behaviour and legal history.
• Current life situation assessments includes evaluation of your stressors and your utilization of social support
• Your surgeon will also assess your motive to undergo bariatric surgery and what your psychosocial, emotional and lifestyle related challenges and expectations are following surgery.

Clinical assessments help your surgeon to know whether you are ready for the surgery in all ways.

Dietician/Psychologist

Dieticians are experts in nutrition. When a patient makes a decision to undergo bariatric or obesity surgery, dieticians are required pre-operatively to assess your dietary and eating habits. These assessments help your surgeon to decide if you are ready for the surgery.

The assessments involve:

• Tracking the change in your eating habits
• Assessing your efforts to change your eating habits and live a healthy lifestyle over time
• Collecting information regarding your dietary habits which may cause problems post surgically

Psychologists are physicians who help you to cope with mental health issues. Patients who decide to have bariatric surgery will require assessment of their mental state and counselling prior to surgery to assess their preparedness for the changes following bariatric surgery. Prior to your surgery your psychologist will assess your emotional stability and inform you regarding any psychiatric or emotional crisis you may face after the surgery.

Some of the important assessments which are performed prior to the bariatric surgery are:

• If you have a history of behaviour related to suicidal tendency or self-destruction
• If you have been hospitalised previously due to a psychiatric condition
• If you had been diagnosed with any psychiatric conditions previously and the risk that the condition might relapse
• If the surgery would have any major impact on your emotional or psychiatric behaviour

Pre-Op Preparation

Before any surgery, you should be prepared both physically and psychologically for the procedure and its outcomes. Detailed instructions will be given to you for the days before surgery as well as the day of the surgery. You will be given specific instructions such as:

• Try to control your weight by exercising and following a healthy diet
• Consult with a dietician and psychologist prior to surgery
• Wash your body with an antimicrobial solution for about 4 days prior to surgery to avoid infections
• Stay on a complete liquid diet for two days prior to the surgery
• Avoid food the night prior to surgery

The steps involved in pre-operative preparations are:

• Providing detailed information regarding the procedure
• Creating awareness of the risks involved in the procedure
• Collection of your complete medical history and performing physical examinations
• Collection of diet history, eating habits and eating tendencies
• Discussing the medications that you can and should not take
• Performing tests such as BMI and bloods prior to the surgery

Patients well-prepared for a surgical procedure tend to have better outcomes.

Procedure

Obesity refers to excessive body fat. Fat may accumulate in your body due to a sedentary lifestyle and/or eating high-calorie foods. Obesity makes you highly susceptible to conditions such as diabetes and heart conditions. When you are unable to lose excess body fat through dieting or exercise, many surgical procedures may be suggested. Obesity surgeries or bariatric surgeries work by reducing the capacity of your stomach and thereby, the amount of food intake, and your ability to digest or absorb certain nutrients from your diet. The different types of obesity procedures include:

• Gastric bypass
• Sleeve gastrectomy

As with all surgical procedures, obesity surgeries may be associated with certain risks such as infection and blood clots. They help you lose weight quickly, but this weight loss should be maintained with the help of exercise and healthy eating habits.

Lifelong Care Plan

Maintenance phase

Lifelong Aftercare

Follow-up visits

After bariatric surgery, regular post-operative follow up visits are important to ensure your complete recovery and a successful outcome. The discharge instructions will have the periodical follow-up visits listed.

Your first visit will be scheduled two to four weeks after surgery. You will be required to visit your surgeon regularly – six weeks, three months, six months, nine months and then annually.

At each follow up visit, please keep your doctor informed of your recovery/progress and contact your doctor for any health concerns you have in between visits. Please call the office to make appointments for your visits.