Has anyone been sleeved from being on a public waiting list??

hi I,m new to this first time so forgive me if I do anything wrong.waited 3.8 years in melb to get mine done.Had it done last Thursday but was in hosp for 5 day I don't know what else to compere it to but 2 women I work with had I done privately,and they seem to have recovered quicker than me.The dietry requirement in hospital was non existent

Well I went to my local doctors on the 22nd and asked for a referral. I mentioned by name the surgeon Chelle had mentioned. She wrote a referral on the spot and the next afternoon I got a call to book my interview at Charlies. I'm booked for the 8th of Jan. 2 years sounds awfully fast now when I was expecting around 4. :) I guess we wait and see what they say. All depends on how you get prioritised. I'm just hoping I can make the appointment as I'm waiting for surgery for my back which will happen either before Christmas or in January. I wont be able to travel much after that for a while so we'll see.

OOps meant to say had it done at sir charlies....in perth

Just wanted to add my 2 cents worth....Had my sleeve done thru the public system in sept.....Took about 2 years from first appt to surgery[which was time i was quoted],had no problems,excellent care tho i seem to have less dieticians etc than a lot of others but that could have something to do with being nearly 4 hours from Perth.........I've had one follow up appt at 8 weeks,i had no problems , not due to go back til 6 months post op....so can't complain,i've lost over 20 kgs in 11 weeks and lovin my sleeve.....You have to meet a certain criteria and be mentally in the right place but wish i'd done it years ago....

Thanks for your responses ladies. I'm going to talk to my local doctor next week and ask for a referral to the doc's at Charlie Gairdners and see what happens. Perhaps I should try and get in before I head to Perth On Wednesday. I'm going to Charlie Gairdeners for a neuro consult for my back and that's seems to be where the hospital public list is. ( was meant to have been this week but they canceled on me)

Hi I just got my procedure done on the public wait list. It took about 4 years but I finally got it done.

I am 1 week post op and recovering well. Its not an easy procedure but its life saving and well worth it. If you want to know more just ask...

take care

Chelle

Kexster,

If I recall, Joondalup used to have a public list. Not sure if it is still active/available.

If you have private health insurance, the sleeve can be under $3000. There are several surgeons who have a $2500 gap/admin fee. My anaesthetist was fully covered so I only paid for appointment fees & leak test (some back from medicare), $100 hospital co-pay and meds/socks/sundries. Follow up appointments to date have been bulk billed.

You may also be able to access your superannuation to pay for it.

hi,it's a very long wait in the public system,i joined hbf and my year went quick and my surgery is the 13 dec,i was advised to go this way as many public hospital structures can change in regards to weight loss ops during the long wait time, you can do all that waiting and then have the gov change something in the system which can add more hurdles for you and more cost too depending on which way they go.I have paid hbf for a year and i am only out of pocket $1600 for the whole thing and i am all paid and waiting for the big day.if you see a surgeon you usually are required to see a dietician but if you have the right cover of hbf you get half of that cost back.

I have heard of a lady in Geraldton getting sleeve on public waiting list, she had a 2 and half year wait and had to travel to Perth and was done at Sir Charles Gardener hosp.... but had no follow up apps, no dietician nothing.

hi, i live in albany and am travelling over to bunbury to have the sleeve done on the 13 th december,you will need to state you are talking about the gastric sleeve just incase you get info for a band,my surgeon is now doing more of the sleeves than bands and i have seen on the site many are getting the bands removed and getting the sleeve,lot of extra work having things re done so make sure it's what you want and do talk it over with specialists etc.Hope you do well on what ever you decide,do you have to go to perth ?

HI Kak1022
thanks for that suggestion. I'm actually going to one of the public hospitals today in Perth that I've seen mentioned as doing them. ( back issue) so while there I'll see if I can get any info. So do I just ask about gastric sleeve. or do I need to be more specific?
kerry

Hi Kexster,

I am from NSW the only suggestion I can make is to ring all the public hospitals in Perth and ask to talk to someone in the bariatric department. They would probably able to tell u if there is away of doing it.

Good Luck and I hope u get some answers soon.

Like Justhaley about are any hospitals in WA doing gastric sleeve on public waiting lists? I'm in country WA. Near Bunbury but able to Travel to Perth or another area for it.
Anyone know how you go about getting details on this?
Thanks

Im in SA and have not come across any sleeve operations being done on the public waiting list, my surgeon only does gastric by pass and have to wait considerable time to have that done but circumstances are for the morbidly obese (BMI above 50-60) with serious health issues...as i tried to find out before i went to my doctor after many years of fighting being obese and this my only option and thought the bypass was not what i needed...i then went and researched the sleeve and 1 year later is very happy....

But things do change with medicare and you never know the sleeve will become available on this service but until then I believe going with PHI is the way to go...

The only way on the Gold Coast is to have a band removed urgently than Dr Liew MAY do it through the Public Hosp system. But sometimes he just asks you to get PHI.

Concord hospital is a public hospital but i had to self fund my op and you are classed as a private patient.I went with Dr Taylor but there is no two year wait,it's not done on Medicare,

Thanks for the info kak :)

I had my sleeve surgery back in Feb, just looking into some info and other options for someone that I know.

I'm sure I've seen a few posts on here from people that have been sleeved after a long wait on a public waiting list but I'd much rather see someone have their name on a list and wait than to be sitting back doing nothing while watching their life pass by in hope of 'something' popping up in the future.

Hope all goes well for you when it's finally your turn!

JH

Hi JustHayley



I think Concord Hospital in Sydney does it but i think you have to be a patient of theirs for about 2 years before u can qualify. Please dont quote me on that but give the concord a ring and ask to get tranferred to the metabolic area and have a talk to reception there. Otherwise i know Dr Taylor & Dr Martin have arrangemrnt with concord for patients who dont have PHI to go in as a private patient in public hospital but u need to fit the criteria to be accepted. I am going to have my sleeve done by Dr Taylor at the Oclinic at the Concord as i seen the endocrinologist there and got approved. The only thing holding me back at the moment is i am aiting to see if i have been approved for early release of some of my super to pay for it. I hoped this helped a little. Good luck in starting your journey :)

I was just after some info on how you go about joining a waiting list to get sleeved through the public system? (GP knows its possible but has no idea how or who does it).

I realise there would be a substantial wait and a lot of different factors to consider but I just want to look into which Doctors and hospitals do the surgery under the public system??

If anyone could give me any info on their experiences I would appreciate it.