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Weight Loss Surgery
Gastric sleeve surgery is a proven option for people living with obesity or related health concerns, designed to help you feel satisfied with smaller meals by reducing the size of the stomach. It’s the most commonly performed weight-loss surgery in Australia, with over 80% of patients choosing this approach.
Dr Andrew Russell and his caring, experienced team have been supporting patients through this surgery locally at Mater Private Hospital Rockhampton for more than ten years. With a strong focus on ongoing follow-up and genuine support after surgery, you’re never left to navigate the journey alone.
Dr Russell is a proud member of the Australia & New Zealand Metabolic and Obesity Surgery Society, ensuring your care is guided by current best practice.
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There are a number of widely accepted criteria which make a patient suitable for this operation:
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Weight greater than 45kg above the ideal body weight for sex, and height.
BMI greater than 35 by itself or greater than 30 if there is an associated obesity illness, such as diabetes, hypertension, or sleep apnoea. Click here to calculate your BMI
Reasonable attempts at other weight loss techniques
Age 18-65
No intellectual disability or drug dependency problems
A capacity to understand the risks and commitment associated with the surgery
Pregnancy not anticipated in the first two years following surgery
There is considerable flexibility in these guidelines. Patients as young as 15 have been offered surgery. Sometimes a lower BMI between 30-35 is accepted if co-morbidities exist such as hypertension, diabetes, depression, and polycystic ovary syndrome or if you have been heavier, lost weight and now feel you are regaining the weight.
This operation for weight loss involves the irreversible removal of over 80% of the stomach, leaving the patient (you!) with a narrow, long, tubular stomach. The word ‘sleeve’ is probably inappropriate, as it implies covering the stomach with something. This is not so. Your stomach just becomes narrow and tubular.
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You will eat somewhere around ½ cup to 1 cup of food and be full! Hunger, which destroys almost every diet, is not an issue. There are still dietary rules to follow long term, as there are with all weight loss operations, and they are the same for all.
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Zero Calorie Liquids
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Eat and drink at separate times
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Small portions of good/solid food
When designing this website, I had to decide on content. I could just rehash what is on almost every medical weight loss website, or I could try something different. So, I have decided to share my personal perspective on weight loss surgery, warts and all.
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Firstly, there is no perfect operation. If gastric bypass, which has been around for over 40 years, was the answer, alternative operations would not have emerged. Many of my patients are quite young, and the idea of creating a small stomach pouch and re-routing the bowel seems very aggressive, which it is. That does not mean that there is no place for bypass. But it is just part of the puzzle.
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In this field of surgery, operations tend to come and go, as time decides their usefulness. Laparoscopic adjustable banding was hugely popular for many years. I personally performed this surgery for 10 years, but experience showed me that the results were varied and often disappointing. Whilst I had some very successful outcomes, most patients did not do well long-term, through no fault of either them or me.
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So why Sleeve Gastrectomy?
Dr Andrew Russell has been performing this procedure since 2008 and with experience of nearly 2000 patients have found this operation very reliable in terms of weight loss, with the vast majority of patients achieving significant weight loss but still maintaining a very good quality of eating i.e., can eat almost everything, just in very small amounts. It transforms lives, which gives him great satisfaction! Dr Andrew Russell is also a realist and recognises that there are not perfect operations. If, for whatever reason, the sleeve fails to deliver the desired results long-term, there are always options available e.g., conversion to single loop bypass or standard bypass. But Dr Andrew Russell believes that this operation is relatively straightforward, reliable and very good in achieving great weight loss in the vast majority of patients who undergo it.
Morbid obesity is a chronic disease, and weight loss surgery has to work for life. Dr Andrew Russell believes this operation is a magnificent starting point, and if it doesn’t work for you forever, there will always be other options available, but he has been very impressed with the results of his patients so far.
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All operations in surgery have potential complications. The sleeve gastrectomy is a very safe operation, with the vast majority of patients having an uneventful recovery and achieving predictably good weight loss outcomes.
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Early Complications
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Bleeding
This is quite rare, but occasionally requires re-operation to control.
Staple Line Leak
This is the most significant complication after this operation. When it does occur, it can require an extended hospital stay, sometimes a transfer to a tertiary hospital, although the majority of patients will recover and still get a good result in terms of weight loss. Dr Andrew Russell’s personal leak rate is currently 0.7% which compares favourably with all other groups worldwide. This will be fully discussed with you at your initial consultation with us.
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Late Complications
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Reflux
Reflux is not uncommon after this form of weight loss surgery. However, in my experience, most patients that do develop reflux can control their symptoms with standard reflux medications. Occasionally, if symptoms cannot be satisfactorily controlled, conversion to some form of gastric bypass will generally resolve the issue. Once again, Dr Andrew Russell believes this is one of the strengths of this operation – it always leaves further options open if occasionally required.
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Weight Regain
This, of course, is the greatest issue for all weight loss procedures. The vast majority of patients that regain weight after this surgery do so because they no longer follow the dietary rules that accompany all weight loss operations. Once again, this is why we offer more comprehensive follow up and support. We want this operation to work for you! Surgeons who do not provide this follow-up, we believe, are not acting in the patient’s best interests.
With weight loss surgery, follow up is very important. There is good evidence that follow up leads to improved long-term results with this surgery. The operation is a great tool to help you lose weight, but maintaining the weight loss is obviously the goal.
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Dr Russell personally sees patients for five years after surgery, to share their journey and help where he can. We also have a dedicated support group for our practice patients only on Facebook. We are here to help you and believe that maintaining contact as you negotiate this journey is very important.
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A combination of our clinic and our wonderful dieticians is all about supporting you to give you the best possible chance of a good long-term result.
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All follow up appointments are bulk billed.
Public access to weight loss surgery is limited, so some patients may be eligible to access their superannuation on compassionate medical grounds. This can help cover out-of-pocket costs for bariatric surgery in selected cases, such as a high BMI with related health conditions. Both insured and uninsured patients may be eligible. Applications require supporting forms from Dr Andrew Russell and your GP, and our friendly team is happy to help guide you through the process.
Can I access my Superannuation to help cover the costs?
