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November 5, 2007
Medical City Becomes Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence
ASMBS Designation Reflects High Quality Care for Bariatric Patients

Medical City has been named an American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence. The designation recognizes surgical programs with a demonstrated track record of favorable outcomes in bariatric surgery.

According to a report released in 2007 by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the number of bariatric surgeries has grown from 16,000 procedures performed in 1992 to 170,000 performed in 2005. Faced with clinical evidence that the most experienced and best-run bariatric surgery programs have by far the lowest rages of complications, the ASMBS Centers of Excellence program was created to recognize bariatric surgery centers that perform well and to help surgeons and hospitals continue to improve the quality and safety of care provided.

“Achieving the designation as a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence validates the quality of care that has been provided at Medical City for years,” shares Dr. Lawrence Barzune, medical director of the bariatric program. “It also reaffirms that our new generation of bariatric surgeons are more than up to the challenge of having a positive affect on our patients’ lives by continuing to advance the field of bariatric surgery.”

To earn a Center of Excellence designation, the Medical City Bariatric Program underwent a series of site inspections during which all aspects of the program’s surgical processes were closely examined and data on health outcomes was collected. The Medical City Bariatric Program and other centers receiving the Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence designation agree to continue to share information on clinical pathways, protocols and outcomes data.

Surgical Review Corporation (SRC), an organization dedicated to pursing surgical excellence, formulates and establishes the rigorous standards with which the Medical City Bariatric Program and other Centers of Excellence must comply, thoroughly inspects and evaluates each candidate for designation, and upon review recommends approval of designation for those physicians and facilities whose practices and outcomes meet the stringent demands set forth by SRC for ASMBS.

“The detailed and comprehensive process used by the SRC surveyors during the application review and site visits reflects the significance of achieving the Center of Excellence designation,” said Cole Edmonson, vice president and chief nurse executive of Medial City. “This mark of excellence exhibits that we are fulfilling our mission of caring for and improving human life in the communities we serve, which is a vital part of our stewardship as healthcare providers.”

Obesity has become a significant national health issue, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reporting that 66 percent of all U.S. adults are overweight or obese. Morbid obesity is closely correlated with a number of serious conditions that severely undermine the health of overweight patients, including heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. Bariatirc surgery, when performed correctly, can help obese patients manage these conditions.