Meet the team supporting your weight management journey

MD, FRACS

Dr Mikhail Mastakov

Bariatric and General Surgeon

Dr Mikhail Mastakov is a specialist bariatric and general surgeon with more than 28 years of surgical experience across public and private hospitals. His practice includes gastric sleeve, gastric bypass and revisional bariatric surgery, as well as laparoscopic hernia and general surgery.

Dr Mastakov is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and a member of General Surgeons Australia and the Australian & New Zealand Metabolic and Obesity Surgery Society. He has worked across Queensland hospitals and consults on the Gold Coast at Gold Coast Private Hospital.

His approach centres on careful assessment, clear communication and individual surgical planning. Consultations help patients understand available pathways, alternatives, material risks, recovery considerations and the long-term follow-up required after bariatric treatment.

Read Dr Mastakov’s full professional profile →

Professional details verified from Dr Mastakov Surgery.

MD, EAA, FANZCA

Dr Dimitri Fedorov

Specialist Anaesthetist

Choosing to undergo surgery is a significant decision, and knowing you’re in experienced hands can make all the difference. With almost three decades of specialist experience, Dr Dimitri Fedorov is committed to ensuring every patient receives safe, personalised and compassionate anaesthetic care from the moment they arrive until they are comfortably recovering.

Dr Fedorov has been a Specialist Anaesthetist since 1996. Throughout his career, he has worked as a staff specialist within Queensland Health and has developed extensive expertise across a wide range of surgical specialties, including bariatric, obstetric and gynaecological, orthopaedic and general surgery. He also has a particular interest in acute pain management, especially during labour.

For patients undergoing weight loss surgery, experience matters. Dr Fedorov has personally provided anaesthesia for more than 20,000 bariatric procedures, making him one of the most experienced anaesthetists in this field. His extensive experience allows him to anticipate each patient’s individual needs while maintaining the highest standards of safety and comfort throughout their surgical journey.

Beyond the operating theatre, Dr Fedorov is an Adjunct Professor at Bond University, where he teaches medical students in anaesthesia and intensive care. Passionate about education, he believes that learning never stops and continually keeps up to date with the latest research, techniques and evidence-based practices to ensure his patients receive the very best care available.

Patients often describe Dr Fedorov as calm, approachable and reassuring. He understands that surgery can feel overwhelming, and he takes the time to listen, answer questions and make sure every patient feels informed and comfortable before their procedure. His philosophy is simple: every clinical decision should place the patient’s wellbeing at its centre.

Outside of medicine, Dr Fedorov is a devoted family man who believes in living an active and balanced life. An adrenaline enthusiast at heart, you’ll often find him on the ski slopes whenever the opportunity arises, in the gym keeping fit or enjoying one of his greatest passions—motorbikes. In fact, if you happen to spot someone riding a motorcycle while wearing scrubs, there’s a good chance you’ve just seen Dr Fedorov on his way to or from caring for patients.

At The Weight Management Centre, we are proud to have Dr Fedorov as part of our multidisciplinary team, providing exceptional anaesthetic care while helping patients feel safe, supported and confident throughout every stage of their weight loss journey.

Bariatric nursing

Megan

Bariatric Nurse

Megan brings almost two decades of nursing experience to her role as a bariatric nurse. Over the past 18 months, she has supported patients to improve their health, pursue sustainable weight management outcomes and reduce the impact of preventable chronic conditions. She describes bariatric care as the most rewarding chapter of her nursing career.

Before moving into bariatric care, Megan built a broad clinical foundation in paediatric nursing, surgical clinics, cardiology, and child and maternal health. This experience informs a holistic approach in which patients are listened to, supported and helped to understand each stage of their care.

Her commitment to caring has also taken her overseas. Megan has volunteered in remote communities in Kenya and contributed her nursing skills in Cambodia. She has also volunteered at a wildlife conservation park in South Africa.

Outside the clinic, Megan is a proud soccer mum who enjoys travelling, discovering new places and spending time with her family.

ACA Registered Counsellor

Lee Calleja

Registered Counsellor

At The Weight Management Centre, we believe lasting weight management is about far more than the number on the scales. It’s about understanding the whole person—their experiences, challenges, strengths and goals. That philosophy is at the heart of Lee Calleja’s approach to counselling.

“Weight management isn’t just about changing what you eat—it’s about understanding why you eat. At TWMC, our counselling service is designed to help you build a healthier relationship with food, yourself and your future.”

Lee is an Australian Counselling Association (ACA) Registered Counsellor with a special interest in supporting people before and after bariatric surgery and throughout their medical weight management journey. She provides a compassionate, non-judgemental and trauma-informed environment where patients feel safe to explore the emotional and behavioural factors that influence their health.

Her passion for counselling began with one simple but powerful question: “Why do we do what we do?”

That curiosity led her to discover that lasting change is rarely about willpower alone. Instead, it comes from understanding the experiences, beliefs and emotions that shape our behaviours. Together with her patients, Lee helps uncover these patterns, identify their personal “why” and develop practical, evidence-based strategies that support lifelong success.

Lee understands that choosing bariatric surgery or embarking on a weight management journey is about much more than changing your body. It is often an emotional journey that involves building confidence, developing healthier habits, strengthening resilience and learning to care for yourself in new ways.

Using evidence-based approaches including Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Internal Family Systems (IFS)-informed therapy, attachment-based therapy and nervous system regulation, Lee tailors every session to the individual because no two journeys are ever the same.

She also recognises that, for many people, food has been a source of comfort or a way of coping during difficult times. These experiences are never met with judgement. Instead, Lee helps patients better understand themselves, develop self-compassion and build healthier, more sustainable patterns that support long-term wellbeing.

As part of The Weight Management Centre’s multidisciplinary team, Lee works closely with our bariatric surgeons, specialist anaesthetist, nurses and dietitians to provide coordinated, holistic care that supports both physical and emotional health throughout every stage of the journey.

Outside of counselling, Lee is passionate about lifelong learning and continually keeps up to date with current research and best practice to ensure every patient receives the highest standard of care.

Lee believes lasting transformation begins with feeling understood. Her goal is to ensure every patient feels heard, supported and empowered throughout every step of their journey towards better health. She is committed to helping each individual build a healthier relationship with food, themselves and their future—creating meaningful change that lasts well beyond the clinic doors.

APD, AN

Loretta

Senior Bariatric Dietitian

With more than 20 years of experience in clinical nutrition, Loretta is an Accredited Practising Dietitian, Accredited Nutritionist and member of Dietitians Australia. She graduated from Queensland University of Technology with a Bachelor of Health Science in Nutrition and Dietetics in 2004.

Loretta has developed extensive expertise across renal nutrition, gastroenterology and bariatric care, with a particular interest in supporting people living with ADHD throughout their weight management journey. Having guided thousands of bariatric patients before and after surgery, she provides practical strategies designed to fit into real life.

Her work spans pre- and post-operative nutrition, weight management, reflux, food intolerances, chronic disease management and disordered eating. Recognising the connection between mind and body, she combines clinical nutrition expertise with behavioural strategies to help people develop a healthier relationship with food and make sustainable changes.

Whether a patient is preparing for bariatric surgery, adapting to life after surgery or seeking help with complex nutrition concerns, Loretta’s warm and individualised approach focuses on lasting improvements in health and quality of life.

Accredited Practising Dietitian

Carly Barlow

Bariatric Dietitian

Carly supports patients with practical, evidence-based nutrition guidance before and after bariatric treatment. She takes a holistic and non-judgemental approach, helping people understand how food choices can influence health, energy and wellbeing.

Her areas of interest include bariatric nutrition, weight management, gut health, eating disorders, FODMAP approaches and behaviour change. Carly works with each patient’s medical history, lifestyle and goals to develop strategies that are realistic outside the clinic.

Within a bariatric pathway, her guidance may include pre-operative preparation, staged eating after surgery, protein and fluid goals, supplementation and longer-term eating patterns. Advice is personalised following assessment.

Professional details verified from the Dr Mastakov Surgery team profile.