Dr Ruth Blackham, Aurora Bariatrics

Dr Ruth Blackham, Aurora Bariatrics A/Professor Blackham is a Consultant Surgeon and Director of Aurora Bariatrics.

Our Surgeon ensures compassion and excellence in caring for all her patients, located SOR at SJOG Murdoch Hospital and NOR at The Mount Hospital.

12/08/2026

A gastric sleeve does more than make the stomach smaller.

During the procedure, a large section of the stomach is permanently removed, leaving a narrow, sleeve-shaped stomach. This means the stomach holds less food, so patients generally feel full after smaller meals.

The operation can also change the signals between the digestive system and the brain. The part of the stomach that is removed produces much of the hormone ghrelin, which helps signal hunger. Lower ghrelin levels and other hormonal changes may help reduce appetite and improve feelings of fullness for many patients.

GLP-1 may also increase after eating. GLP-1 is a natural gut hormone that helps signal fullness, supports blood sugar control and may reduce appetite.

These changes mean a gastric sleeve is about more than simply eating less. The smaller stomach and altered appetite signals can work together to support weight loss, but results and experiences vary between patients.

Because a gastric sleeve is permanent, Aurora also provides 12 months aftercare and follow up support for all our patients.

Considering surgery? Start with an individual medical assessment to understand whether it may be suitable for you.
General information only. Individual suitability, risks and outcomes vary.

Living outside Perth doesn't rule out your options.Country patients usually want to know the same things: what can be do...
10/08/2026

Living outside Perth doesn't rule out your options.

Country patients usually want to know the same things: what can be done remotely, what needs an actual trip, and how long that trip might be, what recovery will be like and how?

At Aurora Bariatrics we map all of that out individually, and stay in touch with your GP throughout.

Same options available to you if you're eligible.

Our team is here to answer all your questions.

Medication and surgery aren't rivals. Both are legitimate, evidence-based treatments for obesity, and the right one depe...
06/08/2026

Medication and surgery aren't rivals. Both are legitimate, evidence-based treatments for obesity, and the right one depends on your health, history and goals, it's not a general rule.

We offer both pathways at Aurora Bariatrics because treatment should fit the patient, not the other way around.

Find out more at www.aurorabariatrics.com.au

General information only. Individual suitability, risks and outcomes vary.

04/08/2026

There’s no single moment when everyone should consider bariatric surgery.

For some people it’s a new health diagnosis. For others, it’s weight finding its way back after diets or medication that helped for a while, or things like mobility and energy quietly getting harder over time.

A consult doesn’t mean you’ve decided anything - it just means you’ll actually understand your options, risks included.

At Aurora we want to help you make the best decision for your long term health.

General information only. Individual suitability, risks and outcomes vary.

31/07/2026

Wondering what weight loss treatment could actually mean for your body?

We built a free tool that gives you a personalised estimate in about 90 seconds. No consultation needed, no commitment, no cost.
Enter your height and weight, answer a few quick questions about your health, and you’ll get an estimate of your likely weight loss outcome based on published clinical data - for both medication and surgery pathways.

It is not a diagnosis and it is not a guarantee. But it is a real starting point, built around your numbers, not a generic average.

If you have been in the research phase for a while and not sure where to start, this is the place.

Try it now - link to the website in bio.

Estimates are a guide only, based on published clinical research. Individual results vary depending on your health, adherence to your programme, and other factors. Not medical advice.

Weight loss medication or surgery?Most people are asking the wrong question.It is not simply about which option is “bett...
30/07/2026

Weight loss medication or surgery?

Most people are asking the wrong question.

It is not simply about which option is “better.” It is about how each treatment works, what happens when medication stops, what surgery actually changes, and whether the best pathway might involve both.
Because obesity is not a willpower problem. It is a chronic metabolic condition - and treating it properly means understanding your biology, your health risks, your history, and your long-term goals.

In our latest blog, we break down what weight loss medications actually do, how bariatric surgery changes hunger and fullness signals, why long-term results matter, and how the two approaches can work together within a structured care plan.

If you have been stuck in the cycle of losing weight and regaining it, this is a conversation worth having properly.
Read the full blog via the link to our website in the bio.

Feeling nervous about recovery does not mean you are not ready.It usually means you need clear information, realistic ex...
23/07/2026

Feeling nervous about recovery does not mean you are not ready.

It usually means you need clear information, realistic expectations, and a team who will support you through each step.

Most people imagine bariatric surgery recovery as something far more overwhelming than it often is. While every patient is different, the first few days are usually structured, closely monitored, and focused on gentle progress - clear fluids, short walks, rest, pain management, and reassurance.
And once you are home, you are not left to figure it out alone.

At Aurora, support continues after surgery with our structured aftercare program, including guidance around food progression, recovery, follow-up and long-term change - all for 12 months.

If fear of recovery is the thing holding you back, let’s talk about it properly.

Book a consultation via the link in bio.

Recovery varies by procedure and individual. All surgery carries risks. General information only, not medical advice.

The upfront cost of surgery feels big. Put it next to two or three years of medication and the conversation changes.💲Wei...
17/07/2026

The upfront cost of surgery feels big. Put it next to two or three years of medication and the conversation changes.

💲Weight loss medication costs stack up month after month, for as long as treatment continues. Surgery is a one-off investment.

For many patients with eligible private health insurance, the out-of-pocket gap is smaller than most people expect - and the breakeven point arrives faster than you'd think.
And for those uninsured patients, you would pay off surgery faster than you'd think.

We're not here to tell you which option is right for you. That's a conversation for your consult.

But knowing the full cost picture before you decide is worth doing.

🔗Link in bio to get a cost breakdown for your actual situation.

Disclaimer: Costs vary by procedure, insurer and individual circumstances. All surgery carries risks. General information only. Not financial or medical advice.

Medication or surgery - which is better long term?It's not quite the right question. The better question is: how does ea...
15/07/2026

Medication or surgery - which is better long term?

It's not quite the right question.

The better question is: how does each one actually work, and what does the evidence say years down the track?

Swipe through for the honest comparison.

13/07/2026

❗️Your body isn’t broken. It’s defending itself.❗️

Your brain runs a hunger system designed to keep your weight in a specific range. Lose weight through dieting and it responds by cranking up hunger and slowing your metabolism - actively pulling you back up. That’s not failure. That’s biology doing its job.

Weight loss medications work by chemically lowering that hunger signal while you take them. Stop the medication and for many people the signal returns, and so does the weight.

Surgery works on the same system - but at the source, and in more ways than we originally understood.
We’ve long known that sleeve gastrectomy removes most of the stomach tissue that produces ghrelin, the hormone that drives hunger. What research is continuing to show is that the sleeve also causes GLP-1 - the same hormone that weight loss injectables are designed to mimic - to rise significantly after every meal. That’s not a side effect. That’s the gut rewiring itself to produce a natural, meal-triggered hormonal response that closely mirrors what the medications do chemically.

The difference? It’s built in. It doesn’t require a prescription, a monthly cost, or a decision about whether to keep going.

Long-term studies following surgery patients for 10 to 20 years show results that dieting and medication alone don’t replicate. The hormone changes are a significant part of why.

This is general information only. Individual results vary and all surgery carries risks. Speak with a medical professional about what’s right for you.

Address

100 Murdoch Drive
Murdoch, WA
6150

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+61864787631

Website

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