Center for Bariatric Surgery

Surgical Risk Comparison 30 Day

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Weight Loss Outcomes

Average % Excess Weight Loss Chart

Percent of Excess Weight Loss (EWL) is used as an outcome measure for bariatric surgery. A percentage is used rather than the absolute number of pounds lost to allow comparison of weight loss between persons or between types of bariatric procedures. A person's Ideal Body Weight (IBW) is based on the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company standard height and weight tables for men and women.

Percent of Excess Weight Loss is calculated as follows:

Starting Weight (pounds) minus Ideal Body Weight (pounds) = Excess Weight (pounds)
Weight Lost (pounds) divided by the original Excess Weight (pounds) and multiplied by 100 = % EWL

A sustained EWL of ≥ 50% is considered successful by insurance providers and accrediting organizations.

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Average Length of Stay

Procedure	Average Length of Stay (LOS), days
Open Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass	3
Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass	2
Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding (LAP-BAND®)	1

Recognized for Excellence

The Center for Bariatric Surgery (CBS) at St. Vincent Charity Hospital is nationally recognized as a Center of Excellence (COE) by the Surgical Review Corporation (SRC), a pioneering organization designated by the American Society for Bariatric Surgery (ASBS) to pursue excellence in the delivery of bariatric surgical care with the highest levels of efficacy, efficiency and safety.

In fulfilling this mission the SRC has:

Established guidelines and criteria for assessing bariatric surgical practices.
Evaluated and investigated applicants to ensure they meet established standards for recognition as a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence.
Collected, analyzed and disseminated data in compliance with applicable privacy limitations and other applicable laws and regulations.

According to a study released in July 2005 by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the number of U.S. bariatric surgeries more than quadrupled between 1998 and 2003 - from 13,386 to 71,733. Faced with clinical evidence that the most experienced and best-run bariatric surgery programs have by far the lowest rates of complications, the ASBS 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.

The Center for Bariatric Surgery received the Center of Excellence designation for the full three-year term. This three-year level is reserved for those applicants who not only meet, but exceed, the requirements for full approval in most or all respects.

Recently, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services determined that Medicare coverage for bariatric surgery procedures is reasonable and necessary only when performed at facilities that are certified as a Bariatric Center of Excellence. A list of approved facilities can be found on the CMS Coverage Web site.

Surgical Complication Rates

To earn a Center of Excellence designation, St. Vincent Charity Hospital's CBS underwent a series of site inspections during which all aspects of the program's surgical processes and data were closely examined. While complications are possible in any surgery, the rate of complications from surgeries performed at a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence is lower than programs that do not carry the Center of Excellence designation.

Surgical Volume

To obtain a Center of Excellence designation, both surgeons and surgical facilities must meet or exceed specific volume requirements set by the SRC. An individual surgeon must perform 50 or more primary bariatric surgeries per year, and a facility must be able to document 125 or more primary bariatric surgeries per year. In addition, a surgeon must also meet a minimum standard of 125 primary bariatric procedures performed over a lifetime. Both St. Vincent Charity Hospital's CBS and the program surgeons have far exceeded these requirements. Since 1999, Drs. Schreiber, Sonpal, and Ben-Meir have individually performed more than 1,000 primary bariatric surgeries, and the CBS has a surgical experience record of more than 6,500 patients.