FAQs

Sleeve, two different types of bypass, SADI? Understanding the differences between the various surgeries can be daunting. At Riverina Bariatrics we offer every type of procedure that is commonly performed in Australia. Our Surgeons will perform a thorough assessment of your personal circumstances and help explain which particular surgery may be best suited to you. Choice of operation is a shared decision between you and Surgeon.

Weight loss after Bariatric Surgery is far greater than with medication or diet and lifestyle changes alone. Typically a person can expect to lose between 30-40% of their total weight. The majority of this weight loss occurs in the first 12 months after surgery. With attention to maintaining healthy eating habits moving forward these results can be expected to be durable for many many years.

The cost of Bariatric Surgery depends on which surgical procedure is performed and whether you have private health coverage or not. All our procedures are undertaken as an overnight stay in Calvary Riverina Hospital. We are up front and transparent with all of our pricing. Please see the pricing page here.

Drugs like Ozempic are a very exciting future direction for obesity care. New drugs are being developed all the time and in the future their use will undoubtedly become more widespread. At present these drugs remain very expensive and difficult to access. The current injectable drugs need to be taken lifelong or weight regain is likely to occur. At present bariatric surgery still leads to greater weight loss than medication and is far more cost effective in the long term.

It is essential that in addition to your surgical procedure you are in the right head space to make changes to your daily eating routine. We encourage all our patients to enjoy their food and eat delicious things. Our expert team of weight loss professionals will assist you in creating new eating routines eating the foods you love in sensible quantities whilst avoiding mindless grazing and bingeing.

NO! If you are reading this you already know that diets don’t work. Ultimately they lead to weight regain and a sense of failure. Rather than put you on a diet our team of weight loss professionals will help you to change your daily eating routines, enjoy your food and eat the foods you love in sensible quantities whilst avoiding mindless grazing and bingeing.

Here at Riverina Bariatrics we LOVE food! As a part of your weight loss journey with us we will teach you how to eat the foods that you love, perhaps other delicious foods you haven’t tried before in a way that will sustain long term weight loss and better health for you.

At Riverina Bariatrics 20% of our patients are male. Men are often concerned that they will lose physical strength or muscle definition after the surgery. This does not have to be true. We have a tailored program specifically for men that involves a high protein diet with appropriate physical exercise to help you achieve whatever body shape you desire.

Whilst modern bariatric surgery is keyhole surgery with a one night stay in hospital it is nevertheless major abdominal surgery and should only be undertaken after a full and frank discussion with your surgeon about the potential risks involved. Fortunately the family of bariatric surgeries are amongst the safest of all elective abdominal operations with risks approximately equivalent to that of gall bladder surgery. Risks of surgery vary by procedure and may include, but are not limited to, leak, bleeding, dehydration, nausea, vomiting, abdominal infection, clots and pneumonia in the short term. Reflux, ulcers, bowel obstruction, nutritional deficiencies, gall stones and unexplained abdominal pain in the long term. The bariatric surgery registry contains an up-to-date list of the likelihood of complications with the various operations and can be found here.

Most patients at Riverina Bariatrics are pleasantly surprised at how quickly they recover from surgery. You will typically spend one night in hospital after your procedure. Most people required only Panadol for pain relief at the time of discharge. Patients can begin walking and gentle exercise immediately after surgery. Most patients can return to driving in one week, return to sedentary jobs in two weeks and return to full physical activity in 4-6 weeks. At Riverina Bariatrics we will tailor your recovery period to suit your personal work circumstances.

At Riverina Bariatrics we have helped many couples to start a family over the years. Obesity is a major cause of reduced fertility or infertility. As a result many patients come to us specifically seeking help with weight loss in order to fall pregnant. We however strongly recommend against falling pregnant within the first 12 months after surgery and will provide appropriate advice to help you with this. Our in house Bariatric Physician and Dietitians will help you manage your vitamin and mineral supplementation and contraceptive needs.

Have you struggled with your weight your entire life? Have you been on countless diets over the years but always put the weight back on again? Are you left feeling helpless and that permanent weight loss is never going to be possible for you? Are you sick of being told to simply eat less and move more? Are you struggling with other health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, social anxiety, fertility or reflux as a result of your weight?  If you answer yes to any of these then bariatric surgery is potentially right for you. We encourage you to come in and meet with our friendly team and we can discuss whether bariatric surgery may be right for you.

At Riverina Bariatrics many of our patients have other health problems including conditions such as back pain, mobility issues, joint pain, heart or lung disease, diabetes, mental health struggles and irritable bowel. Our team of health care professionals will perform a thorough assessment including blood tests and any other tests required. Our team of specialists will involve other specialists in your care if necessary to achieve the best and safest outcomes for you.

At Riverina Bariatrics our weight loss programs are a premium service and priced accordingly. We know from 20 years experience that surgery alone does not lead to long lasting weight loss, but rather it is the support of the whole health care professional team that will help you to make lasting changes to your eating habits and get the long term results that you are looking for. All our surgical packages include two years of follow-up and support. If you were to develop any complications our team is available 24/7 to assist you, regardless of your health insurance status or where you live.

At Riverina Bariatrics we always say that this is a good problem to have! Excess skin generally means that you have been tremendously successful with your weight loss and are looking forward to a healthier future. Whilst excess skin is a positive reminder of how successful you have been, for some people it can be uncomfortable or may be something that they wish to have removed. In some cases we can perform “tummy tuck” surgery for you right here in Wagga Wagga. We also have an extensive list of recommended specialist plastic surgeons who specialise in body contouring surgery in Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne.