Newswise — Thomas Jefferson University Hospital’s Bariatric Surgery Program, along with David Tichansky, M.D., F.A.C.S., the program director, have been awarded a full three-year accreditation by the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence, one of the field’s highest levels of recognition.
The Center of Excellence designation recognizes surgical programs with a demonstrated track record of favorable outcomes in bariatric surgery. Clinical evidence has shown that the most experienced and best-run bariatric surgery programs have the lowest rates of complications. The ASMBS Centers of Excellence program was created to recognize bariatric surgery centers that perform well.
To earn the designation, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, one of the largest providers of bariatric surgery procedures in the region, underwent a rigorous series of preparations and site inspection during which all aspects of the program’s surgical processes were closely examined and data on health outcomes collected. “Our outcomes, including weight loss and complication rates, are very good,” says Dr. Tichansky. “We attribute our success to the outstanding care of patients before, during and after surgery and adherence to ASMBS Center of Excellence guidelines.”
A variety of surgical options are available to patients at Jefferson including gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy and gastric banding. These procedures are performed laparoscopically at Jefferson.
Since the Bariatric Surgery Program was established at Jefferson in 2008, it has grown to include Jefferson surgeons, who are board certified by the American Board of Surgery, nurse practitioners, dietitians, psychologists, and medical consultant physicians.
The ASMBS, a leader in research and development of weight loss surgery, promotes the delivery of bariatric surgical care with the highest levels of efficacy, efficiency, and patient safety. At Jefferson, more than 400 patients who underwent gastric bypass and gastric banding to treat morbid obesity have lost a total of 23,000-plus pounds.
Obesity has become a significant national health issue, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reporting that 64 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.
“Bariatric surgery, when performed correctly, can help obese patients manage these conditions,” says Dr. Tichansky. “Most patients are extremely pleased with their weight loss results. They feel as though they have gained new lives.”
Specialists from Jefferson Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery Program and weight management experts from Jefferson Comprehensive Weight Management Program will answer questions online starting on January 16, 2012. If you have questions about bariatric surgery or other weight management issues, visit Jefferson’s online forum (www.JeffersonHospital.org/AskTheExperts/Weight) to submit questions and view responses. The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence® (BSCOE) program was established in 2004. The BSCOE program is designed for facilities and surgeons in the United States and Canada, and is the world’s largest center of excellence program for bariatric surgery.
Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals (TJUH) are dedicated to excellence in patient care, patient safety and the quality of the healthcare experience. Consistently ranked by U.S. News & World Report among the nation's top hospitals, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, established in 1825, has over 900 licensed acute care beds with major programs in a wide range of clinical specialties. TJUH is one of the few hospitals in the U.S. that is both a Level 1 Trauma Center and a federally-designated regional spinal cord injury center. TJUH patient care facilities include Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience, the region’s only dedicated hospital for neuroscience, Methodist Hospital in South Philadelphia, and additional patient care facilities throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey. TJUH partners with its education affiliate, Thomas Jefferson University.
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