It is not an easy decision to consider weight loss surgery but after battling weight for a long time, thousands of people in Australia have embraced this option to enjoy a new lease on life. Losing substantial weight in the long term gives much better health and quality of life. Some may have concerns to go through an operation others can be nervous about the weight loss journey itself. We completely understand these worries and will discuss them with you in detail to strongly support you and make sure you get the best possible result. Our team is here for you and will carefully take you through the steps before, during and after your surgery. In the following we describe the easy process involved in going through a safe and successful weight loss journey with us.
The first step:Please call
(07) 5667 9766 our friendly reception which will make an appointment for a consultation with Dr Harald Puhalla.
A referral from your GP will help us to get to know more about you
Your initial consultation with Dr Harald Puhalla will involve a thorough medical assessment but also finding out more about your lifestyle and your health goals. He will explain all aspects of weight loss surgery to you, what to expect and answer all you questions. During the consultation he will discuss the different procedures suitable for you, how they help you to lose weight. This will take about 45 to 60 minutes. Dr Harald Puhalla will organise some further health tests to you have the optimal procedure for you and a sound journey.
For these health tests you will get a blood test form, which is best done within the next few days after your consultation. This is a fasting blood test and is done in a pathology lab. Most patients will also have an endoscopy. Which is a gentle camera test to check the food pipe, stomach and upper small bowel with a thin flexible telescope. It only takes a few minutes and during this procedure you are deeply asleep. Dr Puhalla will perform this himself in the hospital. Sometimes it is necessary to see a medical doctor (e.g. heart specialist).
Usually it does not take long to get these tests done and during your follow-up consult with Dr Harald Puhalla he will explain the test results to you. At this stage Dr Puhalla will discuss the options for your best possible weight loss procedure and together with you plan for your surgery.
You will meet our experienced
dietitian. During her consult she will explain the very low calorie diet which you should start about 2 weeks before your surgery. She will also take you through the stepwise diet upgrades after the operation and will touch base on the best meal and food choices in the long term.The time for your
surgery has come. We will explain to you what time and where you should attend on the day of surgery. The friendly hospital staff will admit you and Dr Puhalla will see you
before you go into the operating theatre. After surgery you will stay on the ward for 2 or 3 nights and the experienced nursing staff will keep you well and comfortable. Dr Puhalla will see you every day and is always available if there are concerns.
About 2 weeks after your operation Dr Harald Puhalla will follow up with you and check on your recovery process. You will be given a blood test form; please get this test done 1-2 weeks before your next appointment with Dr Harald Puhalla
Also about 2 weeks after surgery our dietitian will see you and assess your fluid intake and upgrade you to a pureed diet. At this stage we recommend starting on daily multivitamins under the guidance of the dietitian. Within the next few weeks she will further upgrade your diet during the next visits with her.
Your next consult with
Dr Harald Puhalla will be
3 months after surgery, please get the fasting blood test done 1-2 weeks before your appointment. Dr Puhalla will check that all your Vitamins and minerals are ok. It will be exciting for us to watch you on this journey.
After you have been upgraded to a full diet you may want to plan regular catch-ups with the dietitian as this has been shown to be very helpful
Dr Harald Puhalla will see you again
6 months after your operation. Your health and wellbeing is important. Therefore we will check your Vitamins and Mineral levels again and will follow up with you in the long-term.
We are interested that your weight loss success will last and suggest regular follow up appointments with Dr Harald Puhalla which will be every 3 months in the first year after surgery every 6 months in the second year and once a year from the your follow up
Designed by macrovector_official / Freepik (required for legal purpsis f icons to stay on page)
