Phone
07 5564 6501
Phone
07 5564 6501
Our team is here to support you through every step of your surgical journey. To personalise your care and determine the most suitable procedure, an initial surgeon consultation is required. Follow-up appointments after surgery may be bulk billed, provided a valid referral is on file.
Contact our clinic directly to obtain current consultation fee details and understand your potential Medicare eligibility.
Please note, eligibility for a Medicare rebate depends on having a valid referral from your GP or another specialist.
In certain circumstances, patients may be eligible to access superannuation under the compassionate release program to help with surgical and associated costs. We can provide guidance or help you connect with services that facilitate this process.
A pre-operative consultation with our accredited dietitian is required to plan your nutritional preparations, such as structured meal programs. Two post-operative reviews, typically scheduled at key recovery milestones, are also necessary to support your ongoing dietary transition.
Please reach out to our clinic for up-to-date consultation fees.
Medicare does not cover dietitian services, but if you have private health insurance with extras, you may be eligible to claim benefits, please check with your provider.
Your tailored surgical plan may involve additional fees depending on your specific health and treatment requirements, such as:
Pre-surgery structured meal replacements (e.g. Formulite)
Specialist consultations (e.g. cardiology, endocrinology, respiratory medicine), if indicated
Diagnostic services (e.g. blood tests, imaging, or other pre-op assessments), possibly influenced by your health fund coverage
We'll work with you to outline expected out-of-pocket expenses and can provide guidance on insurance coverage, rebates, and other funding pathways.
For full, current information on consultation fees and financial assistance options, feel free to contact us directly:
Phone: (07) 5564 6501
Email: info@surgerygoldcoast.com.au
Payment of Dr Free's surgery quote is due a minimum of one week prior to your scheduled surgery date. But please contact the clinic for further details regarding pricing and options.
Payment options include:
We do not offer payment plans, however some patients opt to pay their surgery by regular instalments leading up to their surgery - please contact us if this is your preferred option (note that surgery must still be paid in full at least one week prior to the scheduled surgery.)
Surgery Gold Coast does not offer in-house payment plans. Some patients choose to explore third-party medical finance options, such as TLC, to assist with managing the cost of their procedure. Applications are made directly with the finance provider and are subject to their assessment, lending criteria, terms and approval process. Surgery Gold Coast does not provide financial advice or influence lending decisions. We encourage patients to carefully review all terms and consider their individual financial circumstances before proceeding. Further information about TLC medical finance is available at TLC Loans.
It is possible to access your superannuation to help pay for your weight loss surgery - for all or part of your expected surgery costs.
You will need to have a consultation with Dr Jason Free prior to commencing paperwork for accessing your superannuation, as Dr Free must approve of your surgery and your application. Please advise us when booking your initial consultation if you intend on applying to your superannuation to pay for your surgery.
Once completed and approved, we will discuss the necessary steps required to apply for your superannuation. This requires applying to the Australian Taxation Office through your myGov account. You can find details of this on the ATO website.
Immediately after your operation you will wake up in the recovery room. Depending on if you have any pre-existing heart or lung problems we might keep you in the intensive care unit for the first night following surgery. Your anaesthetist will provide you with adequate analgesia to make you feel comfortable.
The nursing staff will regularly check your blood pressure, pulse rate, oxygen saturation, and respiratory rate. You will also have your blood sugar levels checked regularly. Dr Free see's all of his patients following surgery at least once per day, usually more often. If you or the nursing staff at any time have any particular concerns in the ward, Dr Free or an appropriately trained associate will be able to see you at short notice.
It is important to follow a strict dietary regime following your surgery. To read about your dietary regime following surgery please read our guide:
Click here to download the post operation dietary information.
Most medications can be continued immediately after the operation however we will go through your medication list and make sure they are suitable. You may notice that after a gastric bypass operation within hours or days you may need to dramatically reduce your diabetic medications, and often eliminate them completely within days. After most weight loss operations you will usually be able to reduce or eliminate the amount of antihypertensive medications you may be taking, this effect usually takes weeks. We will liaise with your GP or specialist dealing with these medications following the surgery.
We encourage you to walk and exercise as soon as possible after the operation. Our exercise physiologist will discuss what you are able to do to keep you fit and healthy.
We usually expect that you will stay in hospital for about two nights following a sleeve gastrectomy, and 1-2 nights following a gastric bypass operation. We ask that you stay in the Gold Coast area for at least one week following your surgery if you have travelled from a regional area.
At discharge from hospital we will contact your GP and relevant specialists caring for you.
We will also contact you within a week following your surgery to check on your progress.
An appointment will be made for you to see us in our clinic at about 2-3 weeks following the surgery. If you live away from the Gold Coast we can arrange a telehealth consultation if you are feeling well enough to stay at home. At this stage we also like you to see our in house dietitian.
At Surgery Gold Coast, we believe that understanding the potential risks and complications of surgery is just as important as understanding the benefits. Every patient deserves the opportunity to make an informed decision, and that includes a clear, respectful discussion about what can go wrong, however rare.
Weight loss surgery can be transformative for many people, but like all surgeries, it carries risks. These can vary depending on your overall health, the type of surgery, and how your body responds during recovery.
Below is an overview of risks that may occur. We will discuss these in more detail with you during your consultation and provide time to ask questions before you proceed.
General Risks of Surgery and Anaesthesia
These risks are not specific to weight loss procedures, but are possible with any operation:
Risks Specific to Weight Loss Surgery
Depending on the type of procedure (e.g. sleeve gastrectomy, bypass), the following complications may occur:
Less Common but Serious Risks
Although uncommon, it’s important to be aware of more serious complications that may arise:
Individual Risk Factors
Your personal risk will depend on several factors, including:
We will thoroughly assess your medical history and health before recommending surgery and will ensure you understand how these factors apply to you.
What We Do to Reduce Risk
Your safety is our priority. Our team follows strict protocols to reduce the chance of complications, including:
What Happens If Something Goes Wrong?
If a complication occurs, our team will act swiftly and professionally to provide the care you need. This may include additional investigations, treatment, hospital care, or referral to other specialists. Your wellbeing will remain our focus every step of the way.
Informed Consent & Next Steps
Understanding the risks of surgery is part of making an informed decision. We encourage you to ask questions, take time to consider your options, and involve your GP or support network in your decision-making process.
If you’d like to discuss anything you’ve read here, or learn more about your individual risk profile, please contact us.
📞 (07) 5564 6501
📧 info@surgerygoldcoast.com.au
Unfortunately the full costs involved in providing quality medical care are not adequately covered by medicare and private health insurers. Most common surgical procedures performed by experienced surgeons in the private health system involve a gap payment. Weight-loss surgery has even more costs, as multiple professionals are involved in your care, and care by your surgeon needs to be lifelong.
Therefore, Dr Free does charge the AMA rate and there is a shortfall applicable to privately insured and uninsured patients. Health fund and medicare rebate entitlements can be obtained immediately after your surgery and receipt of payment.
The following graph shows how medical expenses compared to medicare rebates offered by the government.
The human body has evolved over thousands of years to survive long periods of starvation. Scientific evidence increasingly points to the problem that confronts dieters: cutting out calories changes your metabolism and brain, so your body hoards fat and your mind magnifies food cravings into an obsession. The human frame contains about ten times more fat-storing cells relative to body weight than most animals, even hibernating polar bears which have to endure long periods when food is unavailable. Our calorie-hoarding bodies have evolved strong mechanisms to stop weight loss, but weak systems for preventing weight gain. If you manage to lose 10% of your weight, your body thinks there’s an emergency, so it burns less fuel by slowing your metabolism.
Weight loss surgery cannot fully oppose these carbohydrate scavenging effects of the body. However it is able to partially change the hormones that affect hunger, and can decrease the total amount of food able to be taken in.
If your BMI is over 40, or you have a BMI over 35 with associated obesity related disorders (such as high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, sleep apnoea, arthritis) the Australian National Health & Medical Research Council recommends you have weight loss surgery. Some people who have had certain procedures on their gastrointestinal system may be unable to have certain types of weight loss operations. And some medical disorders make the procedures extremely dangerous. We will discuss these issues when you see us.
There are multiple medical reasons why surgical weight loss shows dramatic improvements in your health. Most people we see however just want to lose weight to make themselves feel better about life, and to look better.
A recent article in "Forbes" magazine reports that being overweight may create a bias when looking for a job, affecting your ability to be hired as well as possibly your starting wage.
As well as making you feel better about life, bariatric surgery is associated with significant short and long term improvements in cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.
This is a question which needs a proper discussion in our clinic. We offer a full range of weight loss procedures. Most people when we see them come in requesting a certain type of weight loss procedure. You must understand that of the 3 most commonly performed procedures, each will be more suited to certain people for various reasons, such as your actual BMI, specific medical conditions, prior operations, your ability to cope with potential risks of each procedure, and your lifestyle.
Most people will be able to return to normal types of food a few weeks following the operation. There is a strict diet regime you would need to follow for the first 4 weeks following the operation. We will discuss this with you and give you a detailed information booklet when you have the procedure. You should notice that you feel full, or restricted, after smaller meals than you were previously used to. This is normal and the anticipated effect of weight loss surgery.
Some people notice “dumping” effects after weight loss surgery, this involves feeling flushed, dizzy, and weak after very sugary rich meals. This effect lasts for short periods following a meal and usually the body adapts and it doesn’t persist for more than a few weeks.
Some people experience intolerance to certain foods following weight loss surgery and their overall appetite changes. No-one can predict who this will occur with.
It is extremely rare that anyone develops vitamin deficiencies after a weight loss operation. We do encourage you to take multivitamins however as you may dramatically reduce the intake of usual foods which contain the vitamins and minerals you would have previously been eating. We do notice that a large proportion of people we test before a weight loss procedure already are slightly deficient in certain vitamins. There is no harm in taking a daily vitamin supplement.
It is possible to claim a rebate form the ATO (Australian Taxation Office) when you submit your end of year tax return. Weight loss procedures qualify for the medical expenses safety net. If the net total of all of your medical expenses for the financial year exceed $2120, you can claim a tax offset of 20% of your net medical expenses over $2120. This is not means tested and there is no limit on the amount you can claim.
FOR EXAMPLE: If your total out of pocket expense is $5000:You may get a tax rebate of $576 ($5000-$2120) X 20% = $576 you can claim back as a rebate.
Check with your accountant if this applies to you. For further details see the Australian Taxation Office website by clicking here.