Support for every stage of your journey

Obesity is a serious medical condition that leads to multiple problems. It puts people at high risk of developing obesity related issues or co-morbidities. These include metabolic syndrome, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, high blood cholesterol, reflux, sleep disorders, infertility, incontinence, and for some people, a wide range of cancers including breast cancer and colon cancer. Obesity leads to a reduced life expectancy of about 10 years; a mortality that is comparable to the risks of smoking.

Successful weight loss (metabolic) surgery can provide many psychological health benefits. Many people find they have an improved levels of self-esteem and self-confidence in life and activities following weight loss (metabolic) surgery which positively impacts on multiple aspects of their lives. Weight loss (metabolic) surgery has been shown to be highly effective at inducing significant long-term weight loss and reducing the problems caused by obesity. Evidence shows that this not only improves a person’s quality of life but leads to improved life expectancy.

Traditional methods to reduce weight include diet and exercise, ‘eat less and exercise more’. Scientific evidence has proven these to be ineffective at reducing weight and improving mortality. In contrast, weight loss (metabolic) surgery has been shown to be highly effective at inducing significant long-term weight loss and reducing the problems caused by obesity.

Surgery is a tool, and the more you engage with it, the better the result. Engaging with it means that you are implementing long term portion control, making good food choices and the lifestyle changes, including exercise that will help support and maintain your weight loss long term.

Your surgeon may request that you take a special diet before surgery. This is usually shake based, including vegetables and salads as per dietitian/nutritionist instruction.
After two to three days generally your hunger is switched off due to a state of fat burning. This feeling of hunger being switched off is similar to what you will experience after surgery. Our specialist dietitian/nutritionist will discuss and help you work through the diet. Your surgeon will generally recommend a two to six week diet depending on your starting weight and weight distribution.

The reason for following this diet is to make the surgery easier and safer. Importantly the diet shrinks the size of your liver, in doing so it ensures that the operation can be carried out by laparoscopic (keyhole method) and means that the surgery as a whole, is lower risk.

After surgery you will need to follow a post-operative diet progression below, as advised by the surgeon and dietitian/nutritionist.

• Fluids – ensuring the recommended intake per day to avoid dehydration
• Pureed – consistency of baby food
• Soft diet – progressing to normal diet as guided by the dietitian.

It is recommended you stick to the recommended diet, as it helps place the stomach in the best position for healing. It is also important to remember to drink regularly throughout the day to ensure that you remain adequately hydrated. Remember, following your operation you will only be able to take sips of fluids rather than been able to drink a whole glass of water as you can prior to the surgery. We will guide you on the length of the different diet stages.

If you have medical health insurance, contact your provider to see if they cover or contribute towards weight loss (metabolic) surgery or related consultations with the surgeon, dietician etc. There are some insurance companies that will contribute a part payment towards the cost of surgery if you meet their criteria, it’s worth asking them what that is, if applicable.

As we are not a registered finance provider, we are unable to offer any financial plans however we can suggest credit companies, or other finance options such as personal loans, getting an extension on your mortgage, etc. These options will be included in the information pack, or we are happy to discuss other options in your initial consult. Some people have been successful in accessing their KiwiSaver through the ‘financial hardship’ pathway, however there are no guarantees that this will be approved. Unfortunately, the ‘medical reasons’ pathway has now been removed as an option to fund bariatric surgery, but we encourage patients to consider applying under financial hardship if they fulfil the criteria. For more information regarding this, we suggest you contact your KiwiSaver fund provider, and get the forms which outline what you will need in terms of the supporting documentation from both your GP and healthcare provider. To discuss the option of publicly funded surgery, you will need to contact your GP, and then organise a referral through your GP to the public hospital. We are unable to refer you for public funding, this is only through your GP.