Committed to enhancing overall patient well-being, the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) today issued a statement on the benefits of laparoscopic obesity surgery. We echo the NIH consensus that weight loss surgery is the only effective long term method for the treatment of obesity while diet management and other systems achieve temporary results, said Dr. Scott Melvin, Professor and Chief of Gastrointestinal Surgery at Ohio State University and the immediate past President of SAGES. For the right patients, surgery for obesity is life saving, improves quality of life and may even reduce health care costs over the course of time. New Jersey Governor Chris Christies decision to share his experience has provided a valuable opportunity for patients to educate themselves and dialogue with their physicians on such minimally invasive surgical (MIS) procedures, Dr. Melvin said.
SAGES has been at the forefront of best practices in laparoscopic obesity surgery by researching, developing and disseminating the guidelines and training for standards of practice in surgical procedures. Both open and laparoscopic bariatric operations are effective therapies for morbid obesity and represent complementary state-of-the-art procedures however as is the case with a majority of MIS procedures, recovery is generally faster with MIS and there are less complications.
Patients are encouraged to review the SAGES Patient Information Guidelines for Laparoscopic Surgery for Severe (Morbid) Obesity at http://www.sages.org/publications/patient_information to learn about treatment options, the advantages of laparoscopic obesity surgery and if they would be considered as a candidate for this type of surgery.
About SAGES
The mission of the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) is to improve quality patient care through education, research, innovation and leadership, principally in gastrointestinal and endoscopic surgery. SAGES is a leading surgical society, representing a worldwide community of over 6,000 surgeons that can bring minimal access surgery, endoscopy and emerging techniques to patients worldwide. The organization sets the clinical and educational guidelines on standards of practice in various procedures, critical to enhancing patient safety and health.
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