Patient Care Plan
What is a Care Plan?
A Care Plan is a precision medical plan for your return to health. It is administered and performed by Dr Dhan, the NWLS administration and allied health team, and some outsourced health professionals* including:
- Dietician,
- Psychologist*
- Exercise Physiologist*
- Support Team and
- Admin Staff
*Cost of health professional is not included in the weight loss program. NWLS can support with preferred health professionals
Ongoing Care Before, During and After Surgery
Bariatric surgery is the first step in your weight loss journey. Reaching your weight goals and managing your weight in the long term requires a continuous commitment to an improved lifestyle.
Before Surgery
You will attend pre-operative appointments with Dr Dhan, one of our Dieticians and selected members of our multidisciplinary team.
A tailored program using the principles of Precision Medicine will be given to you and options for treatment outlined.
You will have time to consider the options and review printed literature and web based resources.
A specialist physician may also need to review you prior to your surgery depending on your other health issues.
You will need to commence Optifast to help shrink your liver size to make the surgery more technically easy.
Losing Weight After Surgery
Surgery is one tool to help you lose weight, you also need to follow a healthy diet and become physically active.
We consider your bariatric surgery as a tool that makes these changes easier.
Learning how to eat healthier and incorporating regular exercise into your everyday life can be challenging, but the end results make the struggle worth it.
Patients who have undergone successful bariatric surgery not only look fitter they have more energy, can engage in more activities, and are often able to resolve their co-morbid conditions.
Weight Loss Care Program
Losing weight can be physically and mentally draining and every patient’s journey will be different. Dr Dhan offers a precision medicine program designed to help you meet your weight loss goals.
The program covers the preoperative to postoperative needs of patients incorporating ongoing support along with a range of tools and resources.
Patients are provided with:
- Preoperative patient screening.
- Information about how to achieve their weight loss goals.
- Details about the procedure.
- Preoperative diet - such as Optifast. Our dietician will guide you through this
- What to expect after the surgery?
- Open communication between the patient, Dr Dhan, surgeon and the bariatric support team.
- A follow-up schedule to help monitor postoperative progress.
- Dietary advice before and after surgery
- A recommended program for exercise. Currently outsourced, NWLS can supply a list of preferred Exercise Physiologist
- Psychological counselling, if needed. Currently outsourced, NWLS can supply a list of preferred Psychologist.
