The practice of bariatric surgery at academic medical centers

Perception and Awareness of Bariatric Surgery in Canada: a National Survey of General Surgeons

“…This finding may be explained by regional differences in the availability of resources and equipment designed for the morbidly obese. Surgeons practicing in non-academic settings are less likely to have access to high-weight operating room tables, computerized tomography scanners, and transfer devices than those who work at academic institutions [28]. Nevertheless, it is imperative that complications are recognized and treated appropriately and promptly in order to minimize significant morbidity and mortality.…”

Are African–Americans as Successful as Caucasians after Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass?

“…Since obesity does not discriminate, no ethnicity or race is immune to this disease. [2][3][4][5] The first laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGBP) was performed in 1994. 1 This growing incidence of obesity has contributed to the increase in the number of centers performing bariatric surgery.…”

Establishing a laparoscopic bariatric program in a safety net hospital

“…Certain facilities and equipment are required for the care of morbidly obese patients, as suggested by Nguyen et al [10]. A sufficient number of cases also is required, not only to justify the initial costs of starting the program, but also to enable the program to quickly overcome the learning curve that exists for both the surgeons and the institutions [4,12,13,16].…”

“…A sufficient number of cases also is required, not only to justify the initial costs of starting the program, but also to enable the program to quickly overcome the learning curve that exists for both the surgeons and the institutions [4,12,13,16]. In fact, there is some evidence that high-volume programs have better results than low-volume programs [10]. When new programs are initiated without sufficient numbers, it is not surprising to see higher rates of complications such as leak rates of 20% [15,17].…”

“…As the epidemic of morbid obesity increases, so do the number of centers performing bariatric surgery [10]. Medical treatment for morbid obesity still results in less than desired sustained weight loss.…”