• Giuseppe M Marinari, Marco Anselmino, Carlo Tascini, Paolo Bernante, Mirto Foletto, Paolo Gentileschi, Mario Morino, Stefano Olmi, Mauro Toppino, and Gianfranco Silecchia.
• Bariatric Unit, Humanitas Research Hospital, IRCCS Rozzano, Italy.
• Surg Obes Relat Dis. 2020 Oct 1; 16 (10): 1614-1618.

AbstractIn Italy elective bariatric and metabolic surgery was cancelled on February 21,2020 at the beginning of the so-called phase 1 of the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak. Gradually it was restarted on May 4,2020 at the beginning of the so-called phase 2, when epidemiological data showed containment of the infection. Before the outbreak in eight high-volume bariatric centers 840 patients were surgically treated developing a Covid-19 infection, during phase 1, in only 5 cases (0.6%) without mortality. The post-operative complication rate was similar when compared to the 836 subjects submitted to bariatric surgery the year before. Since the high prevalence of infection in subjects with BMI > 30, it was argued that early intervention on obesity during phase 2 could help to minimize the effects of the disease in the event of a possible reversion to a SARS-CoV-2 outbreak phase 1. At the same time a prospective observational study from July 1 till the WHO declaration of the end of the pandemic has started in the eight high volume centers to monitor the post-operative outcome and its effect on SARS-CoV-2 infection.Copyright © 2020 American Society for Bariatric Surgery. All rights reserved.

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