Dr Victor Liew - Gold Coast

Hi there. I have my initial consultation with Dr Liew tomorrow and I was wondering if anyone could tell me from how long the wait it from the initial consultation to the surgery? I'm excited to start this journey but I've already had to wait 2 months just to see him! I think he is pretty popular on the Coast. I'm seeing him based off a few recommendations.

I had my sleeve done only 1 week ago. Fell pretty good considering. Thought I would have more discomfort but all good. One piece of advice for prep patients - take your shaker (Optifast) to hospital with you, as you will be given a sachet for your meal postop and the hospital didn't provide the shaker.
Other than that Dr Liew, Dr Lo (anaesthetist) and the hospital staff were all great. Onward and upward from here

Travelling Fat Girl Slim wrote:

Hi Catster! I'm getting sleeved by Dr Liew in June. I have a higher BMI but I think he will do lower BMIs with other issues? He's really easy to talk to so give him a call or email. It can't hurt to ask!

FGS.

Hi,

Just wondering how surgery went with Dr Liew. Have been looking at surgeons for a friend and was a little unsure of Dr Liew because it reads like he jsut does the surgery and not follow up just back to your GP. Is this correct and is it working ok for you that way.

From what I've seen on facebook groups, he will only do you if you fulfill the Medicare criteria for bariatric surgery (BMI of over 40, or 35 - 40 with co-morbidites), and you have full private health insurance. I think the last I heard he was only doing people from QLD, too?

Shoot him an email, he's apparently very responsive and approachable. One thing to be aware of with him, he has very little to no follow up of his patients (my surgeon was very dismissive of him for this reason). You are your own follow up, basically. This can be very important because a fair bit of research has shown that those who have up most closely with their team lose the most weight and keep it off for longer.

Hi Catster! I'm getting sleeved by Dr Liew in June. I have a higher BMI but I think he will do lower BMIs with other issues? He's really easy to talk to so give him a call or email. It can't hurt to ask!

FGS.

There seems to be no recent messages re Dr Liew? Has anyone had surgery with him with a BMI of <35? Are the guidelines that strict? I'm at a BMI of 32, but with a waist measurement of about 110, I have high blood pressure and high cholesterol. My Mum is diabetic and has cardiomyopathy and my Dad has had a double by-pass. I've recently done a 12 week body challenge at the gym which nearly killed me (well felt like it anyway) and it hardly made a difference. I'm walking more but my portion sizes are still too big. I know what to do but struggle in the doing. I'm 53 and have struggled with my weight for years. Any similar stories where you have a lower BMI but lots of reasons for the Dr to say yes?

Hi im wondering if there is anyone else out there being done on the 9th of January .... that's my date as well

Hi, no complications with Dr Liew. I was sleeved in April and am great! He's really nice. It's a good idea that you are seeing a dietician.

I had my sleeve in March this year at John Flynn with Dr Liew.  He apparently had 8 other patients who he sleeved on the same day.

He was wonderful. Answered any questions I had by email mostly and it didn't matter what time of the day or day of the week it was and it also didn't matter if they were silly or not.  

I have had no problems with my sleeve 8 months down and have lost around 35kg out of 40kg. Victor will come and see you post surgery and give you photo's of your sleeve.

My husband is actually being sleeved on Saturday.

I would recommend Victor to anyone who was going to have a sleeve.

Lonie

I have my appt with Dr Liew tomorrow (first consultation) will it be a long wait before the actual surgery date?

will let you know-- iam due for surg 16 dec... a friend of mine has had hers done with dr leiw last year -- she s going strong ,, no problems

Hi OMGitsme,
I'm day 6 of Optifast - surgery booked with Dr Liew for 4 November at Allamanda. What can I say about Optifast? Just that its part of the journey and has got me thinking about food and when and why I eat. 
I'm yet to have a pre-admission appointment. I completed the on-line admission last week and also contacted the anaesthetist who emailed me a consent form to complete. Payment is required prior to admission to hospital, all details are in the email. I'm seeing my GP tomorrow to organise the dietician and exercise physiologist. My partner had the surgery 2 years ago with Dr Nolan so I have an insight into the procedure and recovery etc - not that it helps with my anxiety😀.
Thanks Shellac, it's great to hear such a glowing review about Dr Liew.

Hi Shellec, I'm seeing Dr Liew in less than a week, also at the same hospital. I thought the pre-admission was great and I have my TriBall, which is great. Must remember to pack it! Anyway, just wondering when you paid the anesthetist's fee? On admission or do they send you a bill? I asked the pre-admission nurses, but they couldn't tell me. 

I got my GP to refer me to a dietitian, a psychologist (not sure how long I'll see her for), and an exercise physiologist, which I'll see about a month post-op. 

Dr Liew seems great and I've heard great things about him (including from my GP).

No I did not see a psychologist as I knew what I wanted done and why (lap-band for 8 years eating my stomach away) plus my dietitian was really great and knowledgable and we discussed in depth my reasons for just about everything to do with my long term weight problems. 

She did suggest a chat with the psychologist if I wanted and offered to come with me but I am managing without a chat as yet!

I think it also helps I have a really supportive family, my workmates have also had this done and my nursing experience and knowledge helps.

Good luck with your surgery and you do whatever it takes for you to come out of it the best you can
x Michelle

hi there

did you see a psychologist at all, Iam scheduled for surgery in december and have got a dietitician sorted in brisbane but would like a psycologist to round it off. so happy for you it all has gone well and good to hear you have been happy with dr leiw

Hi all,
I just had my surgery with Dr Liew and I cannot recommend him too highly. He answered all my questions, tried to talk me out of the surgery, ensured I had a care plan in place with my GP, had bloods done, saw a dietician pre op, encouraged me and gave me all the information I needed to make a decision.
The day after the surgery the group of patients who were done in the previous couple of days saw a dietician and physiotherapist and were given fully printed post operative instructions. The dietician specialises in sleeve therapy both pre and post op and was very informative. (Young and skinny but not judgmental)
Allamanda Hospital was absolutely the right place to be and I cannot thank the staff there enough.

Dr Liew charges the PHI insurance fee, the hospital charges your normal excess from PHI. The anaesthetist charges the medicare rebate fee ($375).

The hospital also invited you in two or three days before hand for a pre-admission clinic where they did ECG, weight blood pressure etc and went through what will happen on the day and days after.
This morning I got a phone call from the discharge coordinator asking how I was and checking if I needed anything.
First class all the way and I feel really good, managing fluids, peeing + pooping, pain controlled with one panadol (capsule) every six hours! Good luck to those in the line-up for the procedure, you won't regret it with Dr Liew as your surgeon!

Suzie61
im wondering how u went ... im booked for January I started my pre op diet boxing day lol...

Apologies. The message from Hayleynsam was from 27 January 2015.

I'm interested in finding out about Dr Liew as per the message from Hayleynsam above. Success stories and or not so successful stories? Thanks

Hi Jaye, I am being sleeved by Dr Liew in August.  He doesn't charge any gap fee, just whatever your PHI covers. But you will have the excess for the hospital and the anaesthetist's fees to cover, but you do get some back for the anaesthetist's from Medicare.  Dr Liew does not have a team of nutritionists, psychologists and such like some doctors have. But I found it fairly easy to see my doctor and sort them out for myself, some can be seen on an extended health care plan.
Hope this helps, all the best!
PS, I have been told that he will not see people who have seen other surgeons before him, I think this is because he is very busy seeing people who come straight to him.

I was looking at getting the gastric sleeve done April next yr( due to my health cover ) but I was wondering what the out of pocket cost were with dr victor liew?

Sorry i havent tried to email yet hope u get a reply soon

Is anyone having trouble emailing Dr Liew?  I emailed him yesterday with yet more questions and it bounced back to me.  I tried again today but haven't received anything as yet.

Lonie

Countdown - 2 weeks today

Yes i felt the same towards him. My sister came with me and her husband had his done last year with terrific results but he saw a different doctor who charges a great deal out of pocket and it would make my surgery all that harder to get , anyway she was a lil nervous that he has ordered bloods nor dietician as her husband had to even see a physcologist before the doctor did it ... This doctor doesnt seem to do what others do his is more basic no frills so to speak but i liked him and felt comfortable enough to book in there and then ...  I will do bloods and and dietician myself as well

I also saw Dr Liew on Friday 20 Feb; and have my surgery booked in for Friday 20 March at Allamanda Hospital.
I took my list of about 20+ questions in and asked all of them - but he did answer alot of them first.

He's put me on optifast for 3 weeks and also said it's up to me to see a dietician, etc. So I'm going to do that when I find one with availability! lol
I'm also going to ask my doctor to do a full set of bloods as well to make sure all is ok before the surgery.

I found Dr Liew to be very soft and gentle - and quiet spoken. For me, this translated into me thinking that he'll be a gentle surgeon and who is very caring - which is defintaley how he comes across. He also said to email him any queries or questions, so that's comforting.