About us
QUEENSLAND's TRUSTED WEIGHT LOSS CLINIC
welcome to our medical center
About Queensland Bariatrics
Dr Blair Bowden
My team and I are focused on helping our patients through the journey of not only the decision to have weight loss surgery, but also to offer long term support in the hope that we help our patients regain their health, mobility, and sense of well being.
My team consists of three doctors, Dr Fran Ramsay, Dr Terri-Lynne South and Dr Milanka Kavic, who provide our bariatric patients with follow up care in and around Brisbane. as well as travelling to our other clinics. My nurse consultant, Jenny Coates, provides valuable nursing support during an initial consultation and assessment leading up to surgery.
I also work closely with a team of dietitians and psychologists who assist all my bariatric patients with pre and post operative support, both dietary and psychological.
quality staff
meet our doctors
Dr Blair Bowden
MBBS FRACS
Dr Blair Bowden
MBBS FRACS
During my 10 years of surgical training at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital in Brisbane. I found laparoscopic or “keyhole” gastrointestinal surgery captivating. At that stage RBWH was on the cutting edge of this type of surgery throughout the world. I marvelled at how we were able to do incredibly complex operations with keyhole surgery, but still my patients recovered quickly. I had two main areas of surgery that I found immensely rewarding. The first was weight loss surgery and the second was cancer surgery. Why weight loss surgery I was always asked? Mainly because I saw the wonderful positive changes that happened in the majority of my patients life that came with not only loosing the weight, but more importantly often it was the first time that they were able to keep the weight off.
When I finished my training at RBWH I was offered a fellowship in keyhole weight loss surgery at the New York Medical Centre. This was very prestigious as it is an American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) Centre of Excellence. I trained under Dr Christine Ren and Dr George Fielding, who are widely regarded as some of the best surgeons in the USA, who perform Lap-Band, and Gastric Bypass surgery. It has meant that I can offer my patients procedures such as Lap-Band, Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy and Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass surgery with a world standard level of care.
It seems like yesterday but it was 2005 when I returned to Brisbane that I was asked to join the surgical team at what is now Queensland Bariatrics Clinic. It was a great honour as it was at that stage one of the world’s most experienced weight loss surgery clinics.
Since that time I have performed over 2,500 weight loss surgery procedures and over 15,000 general laparoscopic procedures in Australia, the United States and Europe. It has been wonderfully rewarding getting to know, and seeing the life changes that have been helpful in our patients.
Dr Terri-Lynne South
Bariatric GP
Dr Terri-Lynne South
Bariatric GP
Terri-Lynne is qualified to postgraduate level in both nutrition and medicine, and is a medical
practitioner with more than 25 years of experience in the health profession. She is fervent
about metabolic health with a focus on providing a holistic health service, that achieves
positive outcomes anchored in evidence and experience.
Terri-Lynne’s career includes key roles at The Metabolism and Obesity Service at the Royal
Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney, Directorship of the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics at
Townsville General Hospital and over 15 years as a doctor in medical general practice with a
special interest in metabolic health.
As a practitioner and parent, Terri-Lynne has both deep expertise and personal experience
in the management of diabetes, cardiovascular health, menopause and weight loss. This
includes how to identify and reduce risks of developing long term issues that impact health
and lifestyle.
Terri-Lynne understands the importance of taking a multi-faceted approach to achieving
positive outcomes and the power of a well-functioning team that includes the patient.
Dr Atilla Nagy
Anaesthetic
Dr Attila Nagy MBBS (Hons) FANZCA
Dr Nagy was born in Melbourne and completed his medical degree at Monash University in 1994. His training in anaesthesia was based at The Alfred hospital in Melbourne during which he also undertook a year of training at The Glasgow Royal Infirmary in Scotland. To complete his anaesthesia qualification, he undertook a fellowship year at the Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney, participating in that hospital’s highly regarded Sydney Clinical Skills Simulation Centre as a teacher and facilitator.
Attila was fortunate to work as part of a great team for six years at The Royal Darwin Hospital, NT, for much of that time as a Supervisor of Training for new anaesthesia trainees at that hospital and also as at the head of the Acute Pain Unit.
These days Attila works full time looking after surgeons from a wide range of surgical specialties, including, of course, bariatric surgery, but also urology, plastics, upper and lower limb orthpaedics, breast-endocrine and IVF/reproductive medicine.
In his spare time, he enjoys keeping fit, time with friends and family, and has interests in environmental sustainability, renewable energy and conservation.
Dr Fran Ramsay
Bariatric GP
Dr Fran Ramsay
Bariatric GP
Dr Fran is a highly experienced General Practitioner with a special interest in Bariatric (weight
management) and Aesthetic Medicine.
After graduating from the University of Queensland and spending nearly a decade in general
practice, Dr Fran subspecialised in Bariatric Medicine, a field in which she has worked for over
21 years. Her expertise spans preoperative assessments for patients considering procedures
such as gastric banding, sleeve gastrectomy, and gastric bypass. She also provides
comprehensive, long-term postoperative care—including gastric band adjustments and
personalised nutritional counselling—to support sustainable outcomes, improved patient well-
being, and long-term metabolic health.
Dr Fran previously worked with Dr Blair between 2008 and 2015 before relocating to Hobart,
Tasmania. She is now returning to collaborate once again with Dr Blair and his bariatric
patients.
Recognising the need for cosmetic treatments among some of her bariatric patients, Dr Fran
began training in cosmetic medicine, earning her Professional Diploma in Aesthetic Medicine in
2019. She has since gained more than eight years’ experience in the field and is skilled in a
wide range of treatments, including various injectables.
We are pleased to announce that Dr Fran is available for both bariatric consultations, including
gastric band adjustments, and aesthetic assessments and injectable treatments.
Dr Fran currently works at several Bariatric and Aesthetic clinics across Brisbane, Queensland,
and Hobart, Tasmania.
Dr Milanka Kavic
Bariatric GP
Dr Milanka Kavic
Bariatric GP
Dr Kavic is dedicated to achieving the best outcome for every patient through her
personalised and comprehensive care for your weight loss journey. She understands that
obesity is a complex chronic disease and that bariatric surgery requires lifelong follow up
and care. Following your surgery Dr Kavic will regularly follow and provide ongoing
nutritional assessments. She also utilises medications as a potential alternative to surgery or
as a solution for weight regain.
Glenn Mackintosh
Psychologist
Glenn Mackintosh
Founder of Weight Management Psychology
His public work has seen him accept the challenging position as consultant psychologist for Ten’s The Biggest Loser: Transformed and feature regularly in the media.
He is a member of the Australian Psychological Society and the Queensland representative for the APS Psychology of Eating, Weight, and Body-image Interest Group. Before venturing into private practice, he was the Director of Psychology at the Wesley Lifeshape Clinic and he also supports Queensland Bariatrics patients pre- and post-surgery.
Glenn’s research investigated psychological and social factors and weight management, and he has lectured in health psychology, the psychology of eating, and sport and exercise psychology at the University of Queensland and several other universities.
Dr Matthew Purcell
Ex Chairman of Wickham
Dr Matthew Purcell
Dr Matthew Purcell completed his undergraduate medical degree at the University of Queensland in 1996. Following this, he worked in a variety of different medical positions, including an extended period in Roma, QLD until he commenced his anaesthetic training in 2001. He obtained his Fellowship of Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (FANZCA) in 2005. Dr Purcell spent the next 10 years working as a staff specialist and visiting medical officer (VMO) at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH).
Dr Matthew Purcell has since transitioned into full time private practice where he services a number of private hospitals throughout Southeast Queensland and has a diverse scope of practice. In addition, Dr Purcell is an examiner for the fellowship exam for the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthesia.
Dr Matthew Purcell served as the Chairman of Wickham Terrace Anaesthesia’s Executive Committee from 2017 – 2019.
Outside of work, Dr Purcell enjoys an array of hobbies and a busy home life with his wife and two daughters.
Kathy Benn
Dietitian
Kathy Benn
Dietitian
After a decade in private practice Kathy refined her skills in clinical nutrition, and spent time as an Accredited Sports Dietitian. These days she found her niche in weight loss surgery and disordered eating behaviours, and recently became Dietitian Representative on the Australia New Zealand Metabolic Obesity Surgical Society (ANZMOSS) board.
Passionate about eating behaviours, Kathy has almost completed a degree in psychology which she aims to combine to provides support in building a more positive relationship with food.
Nicola Fox
Dietitian
Nicola Fox
Dietitian
Nicola Fox is an Accredited Practising Dietitian with 18 years of experience providing nutritional support and advice for clients undergoing bariatric surgery. Nicola specialises in tailoring each diet to the
individual and their medical requirements.
Nicola prefers to recommend meal plans with practical meals rather than diet shakes. Nicola will assist you with weight loss, liver shrinkage and optimising nutritional wellbeing through adequate hydration,
Protein intake and essential vitamins/minerals intake. Nicola prefers practical, easy, realistic strategies that fit in with your family/work life.
our Support Team
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