Medical weight loss refers to a comprehensive, holistic, multidisciplinary, doctor-supervised approach to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. It differs from individual approaches, such as dieting alone, or bariatric surgery alone.
The truth is that losing weight requires a range of strategies beyond simply ‘dieting’ to be successful and importantly, sustainable.
During your first or second appointment, our bariatric nurse will be present during the consultation along with Dr Sambandam to assist implement your weight loss plan and establish a relationship. Our nurse is heavily involved in our model of care.
Depending on the unique needs of the patient, we may recommend the inclusion of a dietitian or exercise physiologist into your care plan. Our participating allied health professionals are hand-picked by Dr Sambandam for their speciality expertise in weight loss.
In the event that surgery is indicated, Dr Sambandam can refer to local bariatric surgeons. She is also able to provide on-going after-care to patients, where the bariatric surgeon does not offer this service.
For those that are overweight with underlying chronic diseases, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, or chronic joint pain, our aim to improve your overall health and reduce the number of medications you are on if appropriate, as we progress through the weight loss journey.
It is amazing to see the physical and mental health improvements that occur when we get a patient back into a healthy weight range, including the reduction or eradication of underlying chronic diseases. And for those that regain weight, we have a framework in place for on-going medical maintenance and support if any weight gain reoccurs in the future.
This is a transformative journey for the majority of our patients. There will occasionally be outliers and difficult to treat patients, but difficult cases are rare.
