MedSurg Weight Loss is a Metabolic Health and Weight Loss Clinic. We are a Doctor owned and Doctor led medical practice that focusses on respectful and comprehensive care of people who are living with overweight or obesity. We believe in quality healthcare and adopt a holistic approach for all our patients. We work within a multidisciplinary team, incorporating expertise from a variety of specialties to provide you with the best weight loss advice and metabolic health care. We are not focussed on the number on the scale, instead, we are committed to improving health and wellbeing through safe and medically supported weight loss interventions tailored to the individual.
We are located on Level 1, ‘Dwell’, 19 Longland Street, Newstead, QLD, 4006. There is limited on street metered parking available, however, it’s easiest to park under the Gasworks Plaza where there is 2 hours of free parking. From Gasworks Plaza it is a short 2 minute walk over the road to our building. If you need more help with parking and access to our rooms, please call reception on (07) 3373 0265 and we will be happy to help you.
At MedSurg Weight Loss we believe that to provide the best level of care we need to get to know our patients in great detail. Over time, your GP certainly gets to know you very well. This is what we love about being General Practitioners! Unfortunately, with the current General Practice funding model set up by the Government, it’s not always possible for your GP to be able to spend considerable time with you for a consultation. Some GP’s simply can’t offer the time needed to properly discuss weight management, and some GP’s are unsure of how to treat overweight and obesity but are experts in other things. We all have our areas of special interests and skills as General Practitioners. That’s where we step in! MedSurg Weight Loss is a Specialised Medical Practice for treatment of overweight and obesity. We are a Private Practice that provides very long consultations so that we can get to know you and your history very well. We work alongside your GP to perform detailed check ups of your health, as well as providing advice and treatment for weight loss that is best suited to you and your needs. We always write a letter to your GP and other care providers to keep them informed of our findings and update them of our recommendations at the end of our consultations.
Basically, we check your body for diseases which can be related to overweight and obesity. Many people living in larger bodies will have no health complications from their obesity, especially when they are young. However, obesity is not a benign condition, and there are people who do develop complications of obesity during their lifetime. We check for these complications and provide appropriate treatments to keep your body safe and well. For example, people living in larger bodies are at risk of developing:
We perform comprehensive check ups for you and if we find any medical complications, we will explore treatment options with you. It’s more than just weight loss support, it’s a complete health check up with the aim of reducing your risk factors for certain medical complications related to obesity.
Quite a lot, this is why we schedule a 45 – 60 minute consultation. Your doctor will take a thorough personal, family, social, dietary and weight history from you. They will identify any health concerns and examine your height, weight, blood pressure, BMI and abdominal circumference, as well as checking for any other signs of metabolic disease. They will discuss all available weight loss options for you and help you to narrow down which intervention would suit your personal circumstances the best. Your doctor will be able to commence weight loss medications for you if necessary or can facilitate a referral to one of our bariatric surgeons if you prefer to pursue bariatric surgery. Your doctor will likely also arrange some blood tests or other specialised tests if required as part of a health assessment. Furthermore, your Doctor will spend time with you providing education and resources specific to your needs.
We provide the following treatments:
Yes. We work closely with a number of surgeons to help their patients to lose weight prior to surgery. For example, we see patients who require weight loss prior to their knee replacement surgery and we can help them to achieve weight loss before their operation. There are numerous reasons why your surgeon may have asked that you lose some weight prior to your procedure and we can certainly aid you in this.
Another reason why weight loss may be necessary preoperatively is to optimise your health from the anaesthetic point of view. Because we work closely with surgeons and anaesthetists, we understand the challenges that may be faced from an operative and anaesthetic sense when caring for people in larger bodies. We perform preoperative assessments as well as supporting meaningful weight loss prior to surgery. This may include cardiovascular assessments or arranging sleep study testing for Obstructive Sleep Apnoea for example.
The answer is – it depends. Usually, when we first meet you, we may need to see you for a few appointments over a couple of months. The reason for this is because we may be performing special tests and reviewing results with you, or commencing certain treatments which require follow up. It will take a few appointments before we get on top of any metabolic health concerns and optimise your health in this regard.
If you are being medically managed for weight loss, we will assess you for which medication suits you best, and it can take a couple of months to get you up to the correct and most effective dose. Once you are stabilised on a medication dose, and we have established a sensible plan for follow up of your weight loss and metabolic health, we will usually try and see you about once per year, or more often if you need it.
If you are a bariatric surgery patient the appointment schedule looks a little bit different. Working up to surgery we will see you to prepare you physically for the operation by optimising your health however possible, and our dietitian will work with you to discuss your pre and post operative special diet. We will see you at 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months and 12 months post operatively to assess for weight loss trajectory and check your blood tests. Once you are stable with weight loss and you are metabolically well, we will see you every 12 months for monitoring of your health and wellbeing.
Yes. Our Doctors are qualified to prescribe all weight loss medications and treatments. After performing a thorough assessment, if you meet the criteria for weight loss medications, we are certainly able to prescribe these for you. We will provide support and education on the medication, help to manage any side effects, and monitor your weight loss and metabolic heath outcomes.
Yes. Weight loss medications are available on the internet, usually via chat-bot programs. Most of these programs will happily provide you with the latest weight loss medication after you answer their questionnaires. The difference comes down to the level of care you receive. At MedSurg Weight Loss, we provide comprehensive and holistic care specific for you. We really get to know you and we want to provide you with individualised support and advice. We know that weight loss treatment is not a “once drug fits all” approach and we really want to help you to understand all the different options and to support you through your weight loss journey. Not all medications suit everyone, and for some people bariatric surgery is probably what they need. We care for you thoroughly and will help you through all your challenges. We really, really do care about helping you become metabolically healthy and physically and mentally well through weight management. The difference is in the care.
Yes. We provide Telehealth services Australia wide. The level of care you receive remains the same high quality standard that we provide to all of our patients. Unfortunately, the Government does not financially support Telehealth services and as such there is no Medicare Rebate available for Telehealth services at MedSurg Weight Loss. The fee will therefore be the full private fee with no rebate. Thank you for understanding this.
You don’t need a referral letter to book an appointment. You can phone our clinic on (07) 3373 0265 or email admin@medsurgweightloss.com.au and we can help to find a time that suits you for an initial appointment. You can also make an enquiry on our website at www.medsurgweightloss.com.au.
Your GP or specialist is very welcome to write us a letter detailing your history if they like, but an official referral is not required. We look forward to meeting with you and helping you with your weight loss and metabolic health journey.
Yes! We work closely with several highly regarded Bariatric Surgeons in Brisbane. We collaborate with the surgeons to ensure that the patient is very well supported through all stages of the surgical journey. We work together to take care of patients before, during and after bariatric surgery, and offer lifelong support to all bariatric surgery patients.
Of course! We value and respect the relationship you have with your GP and will notify them of any new clinical findings or treatment plans that we initiate during our consultation. Your GP is an integral part of your health care, we will include them wherever possible so that they can stay up to date with your weight loss plan and progress.
There are several different types of weight loss medications available to treat overweight and obesity. Not every medication is suited to every person. We work closely with you to select the medication that is likely to be successful in achieving weight loss, and we make changes to the treatment plan depending on your individual experiences if required. Your circumstances are unique to you, and we are here every step of the way to help you to navigate your weight loss journey.
Based in Brisbane, MedSurg Weight Loss offers comprehensive metabolic and weight loss management including surgical advice, medical advice and many other services. Our doctor led team adopts a personalised approach tailored to your unique requirements and specific goals. To learn more, get in touch today.
