Patient Information

Everything you need to know before your first appointment, including fees and rebates. If you already have an operation booked, see Before and After Surgery. Find the hospital names, consulting addresses and parking information on the Locations page.

Your First Appointment

  1. Get a referral. Ask your GP or specialist for a referral to Dr Kaleb Lourensz, then contact the rooms. You need a current referral before the appointment to claim the Medicare rebate.
  2. Your first appointment. Dr Lourensz will go through your symptoms, your history and any tests you have had, and make sure you understand what is going on. You will leave knowing what the next steps are.
  3. Further tests if needed. Some people need more tests, or input from another member of the team, before deciding on treatment.
  4. Deciding together. This may be at a follow-up appointment. You talk through the benefits, risks and alternatives, with time to ask questions. If you choose surgery, you receive a written cost estimate before anything is booked.
  5. Treatment and follow-up. The rooms help you prepare for surgery and your hospital stay, and arrange your follow-up. Your GP receives a letter after each stage.

What to Bring

  • your referral
  • your Medicare card and private health insurance details
  • a list of the medications you take
  • recent scans, endoscopy reports and blood tests
  • details of any previous operations
  • any questions you would like to ask

Consultation Fees

  • First appointment: fee $250.00, Medicare rebate $88.40 (if eligible), you pay $161.60
  • Follow-up appointment: fee $150.00, Medicare rebate $44.45 (if eligible), you pay $105.55

These rebates apply from 1 July 2026, and only if you are eligible for Medicare and have a current referral from your GP or specialist. If you are not eligible, or don't have a referral, you pay the full fee. Private health insurance doesn't cover appointments in the rooms. If you have reached the Medicare Safety Net threshold for the year, your rebate may be higher. Up to six appointments in the first two years after weight loss surgery are at no cost to you.

Gastroscopy: a gap of $100 usually applies for Dr Lourensz's fee. The anaesthetist and hospital may charge separately.

Surgery Costs

Before any surgery is booked, you receive a written estimate covering the surgeon, assistant, anaesthetist and hospital, including what you can expect to pay yourself. Please check your hospital cover and any waiting periods with your health fund before your surgery date.

Using Your Superannuation

If you are paying for surgery yourself, you may be able to use some of your superannuation. The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) can release super early on compassionate grounds to pay for medical treatment. The ATO decides each application, and not everyone is eligible.

Who May Be Eligible

The ATO requires both of the following:

  • the treatment is needed to treat a life-threatening illness or injury, or to relieve acute or chronic pain or an acute or chronic mental illness
  • the treatment is not readily available through the public health system

You need two medical reports: one from a specialist in the area of your treatment (Dr Lourensz, for surgery he performs) and one from another registered medical practitioner, usually your GP. See the ATO's eligibility criteria for full details.

How It Works

  1. Check with your super fund that it will release super on compassionate grounds, and that you have enough in your account.
  2. See Dr Lourensz. If surgery is right for you and you meet the criteria, he completes the specialist report.
  3. See your GP for the second report.
  4. Get itemised quotes for the surgeon, assistant, anaesthetist and hospital. The rooms provide these after your consultation.
  5. Apply to the ATO through ATO online services in myGov, uploading the reports and quotes.
  6. If approved, contact your super fund with the ATO's approval letter to arrange payment.
  7. Keep your receipts. You may need to show that the money was used for the approved treatment.

Allow at least six weeks for the ATO and your fund to process your application before you book a surgery date.

Things to Consider

  • Super released on compassionate grounds is taxed as a normal super lump sum. How much tax you pay depends on your age.
  • Withdrawing super lowers your retirement savings and may affect insurance held through your fund, such as income protection, life and TPD cover.
  • Applications are generally for treatment that hasn't been paid for yet.
  • Be wary of anyone offering to access your super for you for a fee, or by moving it into a self-managed super fund. The ATO warns that some of these schemes are illegal.

This is general information, not financial advice. Talk to your super fund, and consider speaking with a licensed financial adviser, before you apply.

Getting Ready for Surgery

You will receive written instructions about fasting, which medications to stop or keep taking, and what to bring to hospital. See the Preparing for Surgery checklist, which you can print.

After Surgery

You will have a follow-up appointment, usually four weeks after surgery, and written advice about wound care, pain relief, diet and getting back to normal activity. Your GP receives a letter after your operation.

Common Questions

Do I need a referral? You can request an appointment without one, but you need a current referral before the appointment to claim the Medicare rebate.

Which hospitals does Dr Lourensz operate at? The Avenue Hospital in Windsor and Calvary Holmesglen Private Hospital in Moorabbin.

Can I be treated as a public patient? Dr Lourensz sees private patients in his rooms. Your GP can advise on referral to a public hospital.

What if I don't have private health insurance? You can pay for surgery yourself, and the rooms can give you a written estimate. Some people use their superannuation; see Using Your Superannuation.

Reviewed by Dr Kaleb Lourensz · Last reviewed October 2026