Bariatric weight loss surgery in Sydney — experienced, patient-centred surgical care
Specialist support for the link between ADHD, eating behaviour, and weight
For some people, medical management of weight alone is not enough. When obesity is significantly affecting your health and quality of life, and other approaches have not achieved sufficient results, surgery can be a life-changing, evidence-based treatment option.
Noi Clinic has joined with The Sydney Institute of Obesity Surgery to offer the full suite of weight management options, coordinated under one roof. SIOS has over 20 years of experience treating patients whose health has been affected by obesity. Our surgeon, Dr Joel Budge, is an experienced bariatric and general surgeon who has been with SIOS for 10 years.
Having your surgery through SIOS/Noi Clinic means that you have access to an integrated multidisciplinary team, who are familiar with the full scope of potential management options for weight concerns.
In-clinic consultations at Crows Nest, Sydney. Regional consultations available in Bathurst and Cowra. No referral required.
Is weight loss surgery right for you?
Surgery is not the right pathway for everyone, and at Noi Clinic, we believe the decision should always be made carefully, collaboratively, and with a full understanding of all your options. Surgery however is the strongest intervention we have, with average weight loss exceeding non surgical options.
Weight loss surgery may be worth considering if:
You have a BMI of 40 or above, or a BMI of 35 or above with significant obesity-related health conditions
You have been living with obesity for a significant period of time and have tried other approaches without achieving sufficient health outcomes
Your weight is significantly affecting your health, mobility, or quality of life
You have one or more obesity-related medical conditions — such as type 2 diabetes, obstructive sleep apnoea, high blood pressure, heart disease, high cholesterol, fatty liver disease, or osteoarthritis — that are likely to improve with significant weight loss
You are committed to long-term follow-up care, including nutrition and medical monitoring
If you are unsure whether surgery is the right pathway for you, our team can help. Book in with our Doctor to help you understand your options before committing to anything.
Health conditions that weight loss surgery can improve
Obesity is a complex medical condition, not a lifestyle choice, and its health consequences can be wide-ranging and serious. Significant, sustained weight loss following surgery has been shown to improve or resolve many obesity-related conditions, including:
Type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance
Obstructive sleep apnoea
High blood pressure (hypertension)
Heart disease and cardiovascular risk
High cholesterol and metabolic syndrome
Fatty liver disease (MASLD/NAFLD)
Osteoarthritis and obesity-related joint pain
Asthma and respiratory conditions
Reflux and GORD
Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS) - previously known as PCOS
Gout
This is not simply about weight. It is about the genuine, measurable improvement in health, function and quality of life that sustained weight loss can deliver when it is achieved safely and supported properly over the long term.
Individual outcomes vary. The impact of surgery on specific health conditions will be discussed with you during your surgical consultation.
Meet your surgeon — Dr Joel Budge
Dr Joel Budge
BSc(Med) MBBS FRACS General and Bariatric Surgeon | Sydney Institute for Obesity Surgery (SIOS)Dr Joel Budge is a highly experienced bariatric and general surgeon with a career dedicated to helping patients achieve meaningful, lasting improvements in their health through weight loss surgery.
Dr Budge graduated with Honours from the University of New South Wales in 2000. His surgical training and early career took place across Western Sydney and Western NSW, where he built broad general surgical experience before developing specialist expertise in bariatric surgery. He has been an integral part of the SIOS team since 2016, and brings over 10 years of combined bariatric and general surgical experience to every patient he treats.
He is well regarded for his compassionate, patient-centred approach — taking the time to properly understand each person's situation, health history, and goals before recommending any surgical pathway. He works closely with the broader Noi Clinic team — including our medical doctor, dietitian, and psychologists — to ensure surgical care is fully integrated with the medical and allied health support that gives every patient the best possible long-term outcome.
Dr Budge also consults in Bathurst and Cowra for patients outside Sydney.
Weight loss surgery procedures we offer
Every person and every body is different. The right surgical procedure for you depends on your health history, medical conditions, previous surgical history, lifestyle, and long-term goals. Dr Budge will discuss every option with you in detail and recommend the approach most likely to achieve the best outcome for your individual circumstances.
Gastric sleeve (sleeve gastrectomy)
The stomach is reduced to approximately 20% of its original size, forming a narrow sleeve. This significantly reduces appetite and food intake while preserving the normal digestive pathway. Gastric sleeve surgery is currently the most commonly performed bariatric procedure in Australia.
Gastric bypass
One anastomosis ‘mini’ gastric bypass
A simpler variation of the standard gastric bypass, the mini bypass creates a longer gastric pouch connected to a single loop of the small intestine. It offers comparable weight loss results to the standard bypass with a shorter operating time.
Roux-en-Y gastric bypass
The stomach is divided to create a small pouch, which is then connected directly to the small intestine — bypassing the majority of the stomach and the first section of the small intestine. Gastric bypass achieves significant weight loss and has particularly strong outcomes for patients with type 2 diabetes and severe reflux.
Lap band surgery
If you have a gastric band, we perform adjustments (adding or removing fluid) to optimise performance. You can have your band adjusted at Noi Clinic regardless of where you had your original procedure.
We also perform band removals, either as a standalone procedure or as part of conversion to another form of bariatric surgery.
Revision & Conversion bariatric surgery
For patients who have previously undergone weight loss surgery — whether a lap band, sleeve, or bypass — and are experiencing inadequate weight loss, weight regain, or complications, we offer consideration of conversion to a different procedure.
Revision and conversion surgery is technically complex and requires a surgeon with specific expertise in this area. Dr Budge has extensive experience in revision bariatric surgery.
Assessment fees and Medicare rebates
Free
Initial screening questionnaire
$100
Self-report and other-report questionnaires
$520
$520 + GST
$260
Two-hour diagnostic interview
Comprehensive written report
Feedback and discussion session
Medicare rebates: Medicare does not currently provide a rebate for ADHD assessment appointments. However, if you have a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) from your GP, you are eligible for a Medicare rebate for the feedback and discussion session.
Private health insurance: Some private health insurance policies with psychology extras cover may contribute to the cost of assessment sessions. We recommend checking directly with your fund before booking.
After your diagnosis
Receiving an ADHD diagnosis is often the beginning of understanding long-standing patterns, not the end of the process.
For many adults, medication can be an effective and important part of treatment. In NSW, however, initiating stimulant medication for adult ADHD requires coordination with a psychiatrist.
At Noi Clinic, Dr Rosie Atkinson works collaboratively with a psychiatrist to support appropriate patients through this process, including:
Medication selection
Dose titration and adjustment
Timing and duration of action
Ongoing monitoring and review
Integration with weight and metabolic health goals
You are not left to navigate the psychiatry system alone. Care is coordinated within the clinic through communication among your treating practitioners.
ADHD medication and weight management
For patients managing both ADHD and weight concerns, medication can influence appetite regulation, eating behaviour, energy, and reward-seeking patterns
Rather than treating these as unrelated issues, Dr Rosie considers your full clinical picture, including ADHD, metabolic health, eating behaviour, and existing medications to ensure treatment is genuinely integrated.
Coordinated care across the whole team
A diagnosis and medication are important, but for most people with ADHD, they are most effective when combined with targeted psychological and behavioural support.
Lareena provides individual therapy specifically addressing:
Habit and routine building designed around how ADHD actually affects your day, not generic productivity advice that assumes a neurotypical brain
Emotional and impulsive eating
Executive functioning challenges around meal planning and food preparation
Motivation, consistency, and follow-through
Self-criticism and shame related to years of struggling
Sustainable behaviour change strategies designed for neurodivergent adults
Where appropriate, Lareena also works closely with Caroline Shannon (dietitian) and Dr Rosie Atkinson so that nutritional, medical, and psychological care remain aligned and coordinated.
What patients commonly notice after ADHD assessment and treatment
With accurate diagnosis and integrated treatment, patients commonly report:
Greater clarity about why eating and health habits have felt difficult
Reduced impulsive or emotional eating
Improved consistency with routines and meal planning
Better response to weight management strategies
Reduced shame and self-criticism
Improved focus, energy, and daily functioning
Relief in finally understanding the underlying pattern
Individual outcomes vary and depend on many clinical, behavioural, and lifestyle factors. Realistic expectations will always be discussed throughout your care.
Ready to understand how ADHD may be affecting your health and weight?
Begin with a free screening questionnaire, or book directly with Lareena to discuss whether a full assessment is the right next step for you.
No referral required. Medicare rebates apply to the feedback session with a Mental Health Care Plan. Private health insurance extras may apply — check with your fund.
COMMON QUESTIONS
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ADHD affects impulse control, emotional regulation, habit formation, and reward-seeking — all of which directly shape eating behaviour. Adults with ADHD are significantly more likely to experience impulsive eating, binge eating, and difficulty sustaining healthy habits over time. These are neurobiological patterns, not character flaws, and treating ADHD is often the missing piece for people who have struggled with weight despite real effort.
Lareena Brown and Holly Rice of Noi Clinic are clinical psychologists registered with AHPRA.
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A comprehensive psychological assessment by Lareena provides a thorough, multi-source diagnosis based on national and international guidelines, including careful consideration of other conditions that can present similarly to ADHD.
The detailed written report can be used directly with a psychiatrist as the basis for a medication discussion, saving you the time and cost of a separate, lengthy psychiatric assessment. You also benefit from Lareena's specialist expertise in managing ADHD, eating, and weight, meaning assessment and behavioural support are connected from the start.
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In NSW, GPs have regulatory restrictions on independently initiating stimulant medication for adult ADHD. At Noi Clinic, Dr Rosie Atkinson works collaboratively with a psychiatrist to navigate this pathway for appropriate patients, coordinating medication type, dosing, timing and ongoing review as part of your integrated care. You do not need to find a psychiatrist independently. Dr Rosie manages this coordination on your behalf.
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Yes. The diagnostic interview and feedback session are both available via telehealth for patients who cannot attend in person. The questionnaire stages are completed online. Please contact our team to discuss telehealth options when booking.
Medicare and private health insurance rebates cannot be claimed for the same session, so your psychologist or our reception team can help you work out which option is most beneficial for your circumstances.
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Not at all, and you are far from alone. ADHD is significantly underdiagnosed in women and girls, partly because it often presents differently than the stereotypical picture, and partly because many women develop effective coping strategies that mask the underlying pattern for years or decades. Perimenopause frequently causes a significant deterioration in previously managed ADHD symptoms, which is often when women first seek assessment. There is no age at which an accurate diagnosis stops being valuable, and for many women, a late diagnosis is genuinely life-changing.