Surgery for obesity and related diseases : official journal of the American Society for Bariatric Surgery
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Surg Obes Relat Dis · Sep 2006
The ASBS Bariatric Surgery Centers of Excellence program: a blueprint for quality improvement.
Variations in the techniques of bariatric surgery, coupled with the lack of a common database, has led to variable and, sometimes negative, outcomes from bariatric surgery. Thus, in November 2003, the American Society for Bariatric Surgery established Surgical Review Corporation (SRC) as an independent nonprofit entity for quality control of bariatric surgery and as a resource for data collection and analysis. ⋯ The first phase of development has gone well. Future steps include the development of a network of bariatric physicians and the development of a consortium for research.
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Surg Obes Relat Dis · Sep 2006
Centers of Excellence in Bariatric Surgery: design, implementation, and one-year outcomes.
Bariatric surgery procedures increased from <20,000 annually in the early 1990s to >100,000 in 2003. The complications related to surgery have increased disproportionately, causing some payers to discontinue coverage for bariatric procedures and reducing patient access to an effective treatment modality. This report describes an alternative approach-the creation of a network of Centers of Excellence (COE) in Bariatric Surgery. ⋯ The preliminary results are encouraging, with COE providers demonstrating reduced 30-day readmission rates and, surprisingly, overall reductions in the rate and number of procedures performed and the number of physicians performing them.