Prepared by Manish Parikh, M.D., Jason M. Johnson, Naveen Ballem, M.D.

The following position statement is issued by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) for the purpose of enhancing quality of care in bariatric surgery. In this statement, suggestions for management are presented that are derived from available knowledge, peer-reviewed scientific literature, and expert opinion. This was accomplished by performing a systematic review of currently available literature regarding alcohol consumption (both…

Read More

Download PDF Document

Prepared by Mohamed R. Ali, M.D., *, Fady Moustarah, M.D., Julie J. Kim, M.D., on behalf of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Clinical Issues Committee

ASMBS independently developed an addendum to this Position Statement in 2018 in response to FDA Warnings regarding Gastric Balloons in the United States.

Download Addendum

The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric…

Read More

The vagus nerve plays a significant role in the regulation of stomach functions, secretion of ghrelin, pancreatic endocrine and exocrine secretion, and glycemic control. VBLOC, a new therapy for obesity, induces intermittent intra-abdominal vagal blocking with the use of high-frequency electrical energy.

Read More

Gastrointestinal (GI) leak is a known complication after both gastric bypass (GB) and sleeve gastrectomy (SG) with a reported incidence, in large published case series of open and laparoscopic cases, between .1% and 8.3% after GB and 0% and 7% after SG.

Read More

Despite the undisputed health benefits, bariatric surgery requires not only an extensive preoperative evaluation but also a commitment from the patient to participate in life-long follow-up. Long-term follow-up after bariatric surgery focuses on weight loss maintenance and adherence to aftercare recommendations regarding micronutrient supplementation.

Read More

Morbid obesity is a chronic disease that requires lifetime treatment. While bariatric surgery is highly effective and durable therapy, as with many other chronic diseases requiring medical or surgical therapy, there will be patients who respond well to an initial therapy and others with only a partial response.

Read More

The following updated position statement is issued by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) for the purpose of enhancing quality of care in bariatric surgery. In this statement, suggestions for management are presented that are derived from available knowledge, peer-reviewed scientific literature, and expert opinion regarding reasonable use of anticoagulation therapy for bariatric surgery procedures at this time. The intent of issuing such a statement is to provide objective information regarding the use of VTE prophylaxis and its…

Read More

The following position statement is issued by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery in response to numerous inquires made to the Society by patients, physicians, society members, hospitals, and others regarding the safety and efficacy of bariatric surgery for patients with Class 1 obesity. In this statement, available data are summarized and recommendations for treatment are made regarding bariatric surgery for patients with a body mass index (BMI) of 30-35 kg/m2 based on…

Read More

Reviewed October 2015; no update needed.

Clinical Issues Committee American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is prevalent in the bariatric surgical population.  The condition has a negative effect on long-term health.  OSA may require treatment with ventilatory aids such as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines.  Surgical treatment of OSA is also possible.  Bariatric operations, and the weight loss they produce, result in improvements in various measurable parameters of…

Read More

Reviewed October 2015; no update needed.

The following position statement is issued by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery in response to numerous inquires made to the Society by patients, physicians, society members, hospitals, and others regarding global travel and medical tourism for bariatric surgery procedures. In this statement, available data are summarized regarding this issue based on current knowledge, expert opinion, and published peer-reviewed scientific evidence available at this time. The…

Read More