Staff- Cairns Obesity Surgery

The members of the team are:

• You the patient, are the most important.
   
• The Clinical Nurse Case Manager:
  The Nurse case manager will spend some time with you, discussing the general and specific issues and providing information about the surgery, our preoperative assessments, and long term postoperative care plan. She will be your first-line contact and resource person, and will co-ordinate as needed the other members of the team.
   
• The Dietician:
  The dietician is an essential member, who will guide you through the dietary restrictions that you can expect, and will ensure that you have ideal intake levels of the major food groups, minerals and vitamins. Both preoperative and postoperative input from the dietician will assist you with long term controlled and sustained weight loss.
   
• The Psychologist:
  The psychologist will help to prepare you for the lifestyle changes associated with Bariatric surgery, and assist with the decision making process.
   
• The Anaesthetist:
  The anaesthetist will see you in consultation preoperatively to allow assessment and minimisation of your potential anaesthetic risks, to ensure as far as possible that you have a safe ,smooth anaesthetic and that your recovery is comfortable and free of problems with nausea or sickness. You may need added help with management of diabetes, hypertension, and breathing disorders.
   
• The Surgeon:
  The surgeon will see you before your procedure to discuss the operation, and will continue your postoperative care. You will need visits to check on your progress to adjust the band as needed to maintain a steady weight loss and for ongoing long term care.
   
• Your General Practitioner:
  Your General Practitioner will be involved in you pre and postoperative care, and will still be your primary care provider.
   
• Other Specialist Health Care Providers:
  Other Specialist health care professionals may be needed to continue management of preexisting disorders, such as diabetes, hypertension, asthma, sleep disorders .If you are already receiving Specialist care, it will be important for your Specialist to know of the planned Bariatric surgery, and to be involved in your continuing care.

The surgery will involve hospitalization usually with one or two night stay. When you are ready to leave hospital you will have your follow up arrangements made and will be provided with detailed dietary instruction. Post -operative fatigue and discomfort are common, and you should plan to have somebody to help you at home for a few days, and to take some time off work to allow a smooth recovery. The Nurse case manager will provide you with details when you see her.