New York, NY -- The Mount Sinai Medical Center has been named a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence by the American Society for Bariatric Surgery (ASBS). This new designation recognizes the safety, efficiency and overall positive surgical results of the bariatric surgical team at Mount Sinai. The hospital has satisfactorily met the high standards set forth by the ASBS to be acknowledged for its excellence in bariatric surgery.
Obesity is a serious epidemic in America. Over two thirds of Americans are overweight, a frightening number that continues to rise each year. Faced with this issue, the leadership of the American Society for Bariatric Surgery identified the need to recognize surgical programs, like Mount Sinai's Program for Surgical Weight Loss, that demonstrate a track record of favorable outcomes in bariatric surgery.
The Chief of Bariatric Surgery at The Mount Sinai Medical Center, Dr. Daniel M. Herron, MD, FACS couldn't be prouder of the new designation for the hospital and the hard work of his entire surgical team. "The Mount Sinai Medical Center staff has been providing an extraordinary level of care to weight loss surgery patients since 1999. It's very satisfying to see this officially recognized at the national level by the ASBS," said Herron.
Dr. Herron has been performing laparoscopic bariatric surgery since joining the Mount Sinai faculty in 1999. Since that time he has performed over 700 laparoscopic bariatric procedures. Dr. Herron also serves as Director of the Laparoscopic Surgery Fellowship training program at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, where he is an Associate Professor of Surgery.
The ASBS Centers of Excellence Program was created to recognize bariatric surgery centers that perform well. To earn a Center of Excellence designation, Mount Sinai underwent a series of site inspections during which all aspects of the program's surgical processes were closely examined and data on health outcomes was collected. Surgical Review Corporation (SRC), an organization dedicated to pursuing surgical excellence, formulates and establishes the rigorous standards with which Dr. Herron's team at Mount Sinai and other Centers of Excellence must comply, thoroughly inspects and evaluates each candidate for designation, and upon review recommends approval for designation for those physicians and facilities whose practices and outcomes meet the stringent demands set forth by SRC and ASBS.
About Bariatric Surgery at Mount Sinai
The Mount Sinai Medical Center's Program for Surgical Weight Loss and newly recognized Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence continues to provide top quality care and options to its patients in need of bariatric surgery. Mount Sinai takes a team approach to weight loss surgery. In addition to working closely with a surgeon, patients work together with a whole team of dedicated weight-loss surgery professionals. Before surgery, patients meet with the surgeon, nurses or physician assistant, a psychologist or psychiatrist, a gastroenterologist, a nutritionist, and possibly others. Each procedure has its unique advantages and disadvantages. No single operation is right for everyone. When meeting with Mount Sinai's surgical weight loss team, they help you determine which operation is best for you. They also help to determine whether you are a good candidate for laparoscopic surgery or if you would be better suited to a traditional open approach.
The most common operations performed at Mount Sinai include Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass, Biliopancreatic Diversion with Duodenal Switch (BPD-DS), Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Band (Lap Band), Sleeve Gastrectomy (2-Stage procedure), and Revisional Bariatric Surgery (conversions or repairs of failed bariatric operations). Mount Sinai also performs other operations that are currently investigational in nature.
For more information, please visit www.surgicallyslim.com .
About The Mount Sinai Medical Center
The Mount Sinai Medical Center, located in New York City, consists of The Mount Sinai Hospital, a tertiary care facility known for excellence in patient care and Mount Sinai School of Medicine, a leader in medical research and in the education of tomorrow's physicians by internationally known faculty. Founded in 1852, The Mount Sinai Hospital is one of the oldest voluntary teaching hospitals in the country and in 1963, the Hospital created Mount Sinai School of Medicine, beginning a close collaboration that has made Mount Sinai one of the leading academic medical center in the country. Today, the patients of Mount Sinai benefit as teams of physicians and scientists work together to rapidly translate laboratory research to new patient treatments. Many of the groundbreaking approaches that result from these collaborations are initially available at only a handful of facilities in the country--some, only at Mount Sinai. These advances make Mount Sinai the first choice for patients with complex medical and surgical needs. For more information, please visit www.mountsinai.org
About American Society for Bariatric Surgery
The American Society for Bariatric Surgery (ASBS) is the largest society for this specialty in the world. Founded in 1983, foremost American surgeons have formed the society's leadership and have established an excellent organization with educational and support programs for surgeons and allied health professionals. The purpose of the society is to advance the art and science of bariatric surgery by continued encouragement of its members to: pursue investigations in both clinic and the laboratory; interchange ideas, information and experience pertaining to bariatric surgery; promote guidelines for ethical patient selection and care; develop educational programs for physicians, paramedical persons, and lay people; and promote outcomes studies and quality assurance. For more information about ASBS, please visit www.asbs.org
About Surgical Review Corporation
Surgical Review Corporation (SRC) is an independent not-for-profit organization dedicated to surgical excellence. SRC's mission is to promote the delivery of surgical care with the highest level of efficacy, efficiency and safety possible. For more information about SRC or to download a Center of Excellence application, please visit www.surgicalreview.org