ASMBS Professional Resource Center
Physical Activity
To date, physical activity and exercise guidelines have not been developed specifically for patients who have had bariatric surgery. However, a variety of published studies have investigated physical activity and exercise patterns in patients post-operatively and have stressed the importance of beginning physical activity counseling even prior to surgery. A sample of such studies are provided in this bucket; however, we encourage you to seek out additional resources. New programs should consider developing a…
Pharmacy
The Pharmacy section contains information that healthcare staff involved in the care of the bariatric surgery patient should know regarding perioperative management of medications. Hospital staff responsible for administering medications immediately after surgery should be educated on which of the patient’s medications will be resumed, when they will be resumed, and how to administer those medications. Staff with direct patient contact should be aware of any medication changes made, either immediately prior to or…
Nutrition
Nutrition and supplementation plays a critical role in the ongoing health of a patient undergoing bariatric surgery. Patient Education materials can be developed for each chapter of the bariatric surgery journey including pre-operative, post-operative, lifelong and even in-between. Nutrition and supplementation documents will often be based upon the bariatric team’s recommendations. In this section, you will find an outline of items to consider in the creation of your patient documents concerning nutrition and supplementation….
Mobilizing the Patient
Handling and mobility tasks associated with bariatric populations are complex because of excess patient weight and weight distribution, decreased mobility, and numerous co-morbid conditions. Providing safe care for this population is the responsibility of all caregivers and providers involved in direct patient care. A multifaceted, interdisciplinary, comprehensive approach that utilizes appropriate technology necessary to safely lift, move, and mobilize patients is required. Such policies and procedures should also address means to prevent injury or…
Complication Recognition
Obesity can adversely affect all body systems creating a potentially higher risk for complications after surgery both related to the general surgical experience itself (e.g., anesthesia, infection, atelectasis, VTE) as well as related to the specific bariatric procedure (e.g., anastomotic leak, stricture, bleeding). Some of these complications can be life-threatening if not identified and treated immediately. Providing safe care for this population is the responsibility of all caregivers and providers involved in the postoperative…
Behavioral Health
In this section, you will find resources to assist in educating your program staff on topics related to behavioral health. Some of these items are intended for use by behavioral health specialists, while others are intended to help educate non-behavioral health staff about the discipline and practice of bariatric behavioral health, topics related to bariatric behavioral health, etc.
Basics
Adolescents
This bucket contains what healthcare staff involved in the care of the adolescent bariatric surgery patient should know regarding the additional considerations in caring for adolescents undergoing bariatric surgery. Guidelines from several pediatric organizations are provided. These guidelines will set the foundation for adolescent program practice. Please also refer to the MBSAQIP guidelines (located in this toolkit) for their specific guidelines for programs that include adolescent bariatric surgery as well as the sensitivity folder….
Sample Job Descriptions
Templates for job descriptions for potential healthcare providers within a metabolic and bariatric surgery program are provided in this sub-bucket. Although these templates are meant to include the requirements as per the MBSAQIP standards, please be sure to reference the latest version of the MBSAQIP Standards.
a. MBS Coordinator b. MBS Director c. MBS Clinical Reviewer d. MBS Dietitian e. MBS Behavioral Health Provider f. MBS Advanced Practice Provider g. MBS Nurse h….