Journal of Obesity & Eating Disorders

Bariatric surgery: Challenges, barriers and future directions in the surgical treatment of morbid obesity

INTERNATIONAL OBESITY, BARIATRIC AND METABOLIC SURGERY SUMMIT AND EXPO
August 23-24, 2017 | Toronto, Canada

Chandra Hassan

University of Illinois at Chicago, USA

Keynote: J Obes Eat Disord

DOI: 10.21767/2471-8203-C1-001

Abstract

Bariatric surgery is the most effective long-term treatment for morbid obesity. Despite this fact, currently, only 1% of individuals who are morbidly obese-that is, 1 in 100 people- undergo bariatric surgery. There are numerous current challenges with the surgical treatment of morbid obesity such as the low post-surgical follow-up rates with only 30% of patients following-up after one year. There is also significant weight regain or insufficient weight loss postbariatric surgery, which may be an additional reason for the lack of post-surgical follow-up. In addition, there are several novel procedures for the treatment of obesity which do not necessarily lead to significant improvement in weight loss. Most of all, surgical and medical approaches to obesity do not typically address the underlying causes of obesity (e.g., unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, etc.). There are also numerous barriers to the surgical treatment of obesity, including the selection criteria, the costs associated with bariatric surgery and the fact that certain ethnic minority groups are not seeking bariatric surgery at the same rate as other ethnic groups. The aim of this presentation is threefold: First, to describe the current state of the bariatric surgery care and outcomes; second, to describe the current challenges and barriers to seeking pre- and post-bariatric care and third to describe the process of the comprehensive structuring of our pre- and post-surgical treatment of obesity program in order to improve outcomes. The overall goal is to issue a call to action to develop strategic plans to improve post-surgical weight loss and medical and psychosocial outcomes in order to enhance the overall management of the surgical treatment of obesity.

Biography

Chandra Hassan has completed his MD degree and post-graduate work in Surgery from Stanley Medical College, University of Madras, India. He has then received a Fellowship from the Royal College of Surgeons of England. He has completed his Internship and Residency at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center at Yeshiva University and Albert Einstein School of Medicine, Bronx, NY and completed Bariatric Surgery Fellowship at Danbury Hospital at Yale University, USA. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Surgery and the Director of Bariatric Surgery at both the University of Illinois at Chicago, Division of General, Minimally Invasive and Robotic Surgery and at Mount Sinai Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. He is also a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.