Fellowship Trained Bariatric Surgeon in Phoenix, AZ

As a fellowship-trained bariatric surgeon, I completed five years of rigorous training in a General Surgical Residency. By completing this residency, I received board certification as a general surgeon capable of treating hernias, gallbladders, appendices, and other general surgical procedures.

After residency, I was accepted into a Fellowship program, where I spent another year training specifically with Bariatric patients in a Bariatric Center of Excellence. My education focused on a multidisciplinary approach to weight loss surgery under the supervision of leaders in the Bariatric specialty. I learned how to perform a Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass, Duodenal Switch and Modified Duodenal Switch, a Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy, Upper Endoscopy, and Minimally Invasive Training.

To complete my Fellowship,

• I performed a designated number of cases for each bariatric procedure.
• I submitted case logs and patient encounters for review and critique.
• I demonstrated expertise as determined by leaders in the field of Bariatric surgery.
• I obtained letters of recommendation from my mentor surgeons.
• I published research in the Bariatric field of study.

Meeting these requirements qualified me to become a Fellow of the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery (F-ASMBS).

But most importantly, Fellowship training taught me to approach every patient as a unique individual, assessing them for the best and most effective intervention available. I learned that lifestyle, diet, surgery, and lifelong management of our patients are of the utmost importance.

The Surgical Review Corporation (SRC), in collaboration with American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) has created a program to help highlight providers who deliver excellent care. The ASMBS Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence® (BSCOE) designation helps identify where patients like you can expect to receive safer and more effective surgical treatment.

Designated facilities must meet a list of requirements. They must pass a thorough site inspection that includes:

• A full review of the facilities
• Interviews with surgeons, staff and leaders of the hospital
• And a detailed review of medical charts.

The facility and providers are reviewed EVERY THREE YEARS and are required to complete Continuing Medical Education annually in the area of Bariatric Surgery specifically. BSCOE facilities are also required to report their detailed patient outcomes information on a regular basis using SRC’s Bariatric Outcomes Longitudinal Database™ (BOLD™) for monitoring and research.

Studies show that surgeons and hospitals with higher volumes achieve better results with fewer mortalities, complications, re-operations and revisions. Higher volume centers are more likely to offer extended resources, such as a multidisciplinary team of specialists, important for the care of bariatric patients. SRC requires that each BSCOE hospital perform at least 125 bariatric surgical cases each year.

BSCOE designation does not mean that all surgeons working there will automatically pass.

The facility has demonstrated their commitment to quality care, resulting in better overall outcomes for bariatric surgery patients. They offer a broad range of bariatric surgery care services, including inpatient care, post-operative care, outpatient follow-up care and patient education. The center must have all of the following: 1-An established bariatric surgery program, actively performing these procedures for the most recent 12-month period and performing a required minimum volume of 125 such surgeries annually. 2-Appropriate experience of its bariatric surgery team. 3-An acute care inpatient facility, including intensive care and emergency services. 4-Full facility accreditation by a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)-deemed national accreditation organization. 5-A comprehensive quality management program