Obesity Surgery Perth

About Obesity Surgery WA in Perth

Bariatric surgeons, dietitians & physicians in Perth, Western Australia

Obesity Surgery WA is a trusted Perth based obesity clinic founded by Dr Harsha Chandraratna.   Obesity Surgery WA offers an inclusive service to all members of the Perth community. It means that we cater for any cultural or religious considerations that may apply to your surgical procedure, the preparation or the follow-up. 

Our surgeons

Associate Professor Harsha Chandraratna

  • Consultant Surgeon
  • MBBS FRAC

Harsha was born in Sri Lanka but moved to Tasmania in 1974. He settled in Perth in 1980 where he attended high school, and completed his MBBS as a graduate of the University of Western Australia (1993). He successfully completed his training as a specialist General Surgeon in Perth in 2001, and was then made a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

He undertook post-fellowship training initially in Perth at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, on the Liver and Kidney transplant unit. This was followed by a further 2 years at St James Hospital in Leeds (UK), specialising in Liver and Kidney Transplantation, Hepatobiliary and Bariatric Surgery. Harsha returned to Perth in 2003 and has been working in private practice in Perth since then.

Harsha is passionate about teaching the next generation of doctors. He is currently a supervisor and a trainer for the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and a senior clinical lecturer for the University of Notre Dame.

Harsha established Obesity Surgery WA and Perth Hernia Clinic upon his return to Perth. Harsha has spent building a highly-regarded multidisciplinary practice, whose core principle is providing the highest standard of patient care to all. He understands that there is more to surgery than just technical skills, and that will become apparent to you when you meet him. In 2023, Harsha founded Allurion WA, a dedicated non-surgical weight loss service for those who want a non-surgical approach to achieve their optimal weight.

Dr. Stephen Watson

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Dr Bill Gong

  • General and Laparoscopic Surgeon
  • MBBS FRACS

Bill Gong is a specialist General Surgeon. He completed his training at The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne and obtained his Fellowship with the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in 2014.

Bill and his family moved to Perth to pursue his Fellowship opportunities. After completing his first year Fellowship in Acute Surgery at Fremantle Hospital, he worked at Fiona Stanley Hospital for his second year Fellowship with a specialised focus in Hepatic, Pancreatic and Biliary surgery. In 2016, Bill commenced private practice at St. John of God Hospital, joining Associate Professor Harsha Chandraratna. He has an interest in minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery for gallbladder, abdominal wall hernia, and bariatric surgery. He also performs upper gastric and bariatric related endoscopies.

Dr Leon Cohen

  • Consultant Surgeon
  • MBBS FRACS

Dr Leon Cohen has practised in bariatric surgery since 1999 and as such is one of the most experienced bariatric surgeons in Australia. He was one of the first surgeons to perform sleeve gastrectomy in Australia in 2004 and has trained many of the Australian surgeons, including Dr Chandraratna in this technique.

His alliance with Dr Chandratana commenced in 2007 when he supervised Harsha in his Bariatric fellowship and has continued over the years with a close collaboration in teaching and mentoring activities for other surgeons. They have frequently conferred over challenging cases and as a source for second opinions.

Dr Cohen has extensive experience in sleeve gastrectomy, revisional bariatric surgery, Weight regain after bariatric surgery, reflux after sleeve and the new technique of SASI-S bypass. He is also experienced in abdominoplasty which is something that is frequently needed after Bariatric surgery. His shared philosophy concerning the importance of a team approach, and follow-up makes him a perfect fit for the services offered by Obesity Surgery WA.

Our bariatric physicians

Our bariatric physicians are an important link in our multi-disciplinary team. They provide specialist and in-depth pre-surgical assessments. The physicians liaise with other members of the team as part of their role, to ensure that all aspects of client wellbeing are optimised and supported by the practice.

Dr Janet Barry

  • MBBS
  • Bariatrician

Janet is a graduate from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Western Australia. Her background is in General Practice and she is a fellow of the Royal Australasian College of General Practitioners. She has been working in the field of Bariatric Surgery and as a surgical assistant in theatre for many years.

Janet's role in our practice is complex. As one of our Bariatric Physicians, she conducts pre-anaesthetic medical assessments and liaises with the anaesthetists. She assists in theatre and provides a wealth of experience in ensuring cases go smoothly.

Most importantly, Janet manages long term follow-ups, ongoing medical assessments, and band fills. Many of our patients require medication adjustments as their blood pressure and blood sugars normalise. Janet also provides an extra element of support to what is a major life changing decision.

Dr Lynda Ashton

  • MBBS
  • Bariatrician

I grew up in country New Zealand and after graduating from Otago University (New Zealand) in 1992, I moved to Perth 1996 to pursue General Practice in an exciting new country.

Soon after moving I met my husband Rob and later had two children.

After working in General Practice for over 25 years I then branched into my passion of weight management at Obesity WA. Over the past 10 years I have been rewarded seeing people's change and health parameters improve.

Our specialist physician

Dr Raj Metha

  • Bariatric physician
  • Stroke and General Medicine Physician

Dr Mehta graduated from The University of Western Australia and completed his early training at all three major teaching hospitals in Perth. As a result, he has a broad range of experience in Internal Medicine and Medical specialities.

Dr Mehta has extensive experience in consulting patients undergoing or planning to undergo bariatric surgery. Patients require an in-depth review of their overall health prior to any surgical planning and this is where a medical review is essential. Dr Mehta consults out of Booragoon specialist centre.

Our practice nurse

Both Paige and Jo will provide you with general information and take you through the different options to help you to consider whether bariatric surgery is really for you.

An initial appointment with the bariatric coordinator is available free of charge, but it is important that you understand that your discussion with the coordinator will not substitute for a medical review with one of our physicians.

Ms Jo Climo 

  • Registered Nurse

Jo is one of our registered practice nurses. She has a Bachelor of Nursing and a post-graduate diploma in perioperative clinical nursing. Jo has a long background in surgical nursing and patient support, and is a specialist in her field.

Ms Libby Smith

  • Registered Nurse

Our dietitians

The role of our dietitians in the team is to help patients prepare for surgery and to provide dietary advice for the post-operative period. They will explain the before surgery Very Low Calorie Diet (VLCD), and the after surgery progression back to normal food textures. All of our dietitians are available to see bariatric surgery patients at any time during their journey.

You can contact them if you are seeking additional help or advice with food and nutritional intake once you are past the initial postoperative recovery period. Clients are also able to consult with their GP to get a Chronic disease management plan form completed. This makes you eligible to claim a medicare rebate for up to 5 visits.

Katie Ireland

  • BSc (Nutrition)
  • PGradDip (Dietetics) Curtin University Accredited Practising Dietitian
Since graduating in 2008, Katie has worked in a variety of dietetic areas including mental health, ICU, CCU, rehabilitation, paediatrics, oncology, and bariatric surgery. Katie is a member of the Dietitians Association of Australia (DAA), the WA Bariatric Dietitians Working Party, and the Obesity Surgery Society of Australia and New Zealand (OSSANZ).

Sabrina Piccini

  • BSc (Nutrition)

Sabrina is an Accredited Practising Dietitian with over 10 years experience. For the past 7 years she has specialised in bariatric nutrition. Previously she has enjoyed working in community nutrition, aged care and private practice.

Sabrina strives to provide judgement free support and believes in providing realistic dietary advice that assists patients in lifestyle dietary changes.

Clare Renn

  • BSc (Nutrition)
  • Accredited Practicing Dietician

Clare graduated from Curtin University with a degree in Dietetics in 2005.
Initially, she worked in the field of research at the UWA Medical Research Foundation located at RPH.
She moved into private practice in Bariatrics in 2007 joining OSWA initially in 2008.
She is an Accredited Practicing Dietitian and a member of the Dietitians Association Australia.

Perioperative support

Sam Prost

  • Personal Fitness Coach, BA Human Movement Science, Functional Movement Screening Level 1, Advanced Sports Massage

Sam is an engaging, passionate and caring person. Originally from South Africa, Sam moved to Perth in 2014 to play hockey for the Suburban Lions Hockey Club. She has played inactive role in coaching, running functional fitness sessions for a variety of ages and abilities within the club, and managing the Premier ladies program at the club. In addition to this for the past 2 years she has been working with the Members of Parliament and their staff in the WA Parliamentary gym. These experiences have driven her motivation to help people of all ages to reach their fitness goals, in order to achieve a healthy and happy lifestyle that stimulates their day to day living.

Anaesthesia

Dr. Clinton Paine

  • MBChB FANZCA
  • Anaesthetist

Dr. Clinton Paine is a senior experienced Australasian trained specialist anaesthetist. He obtained his Fellowship with the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists with excellence in 2010. He is a leader in anaesthetic services and has held multiple leadership positions, including Deputy Head of the Anaesthetic Department at Fremantle Hospital and acting Head of Perioperative Services at Fiona Stanley Hospital.

As part of the Obesity Surgery WA team, you can expect from Dr. Paine a preoperative consultation, explanation of the anaesthetic considerations in plain language, and quality anaesthetic care from a highly-skilled and experienced senior anaesthetist.

Dr. Denise Yim

  • MBChB FANZCA
  • Anaesthetist

Dr. Krishna Boddu

  • MBChB FANZCA
  • Anaesthetist

Business Manager

Dr Wendy-Anne Smith

  • BSc Hons (UWA) PhD (UWA)

Administration team

Sophie

Medical Secretary

Jacqui

Medical Secretary

Tess

Medical Typist

Fiona

Medical Typist

Kerryn

Medical Secretary/Clinical coordinator

Margaret

Medical Secretary

Sharni

Medical Secretary

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