A Social Network for Bariatric Patients - Join Today
We just launched a social-networking website dedicated entirely to bariatric surgery.
www.BariatricVoice.com
“Designation as a bariatric surgery Center of Excellence does not ensure better outcomes … Extra expenses associated with Center of Excellence designation may not be warranted.” This is according to Dr. Edward Livingston of the University of Texas Southwestern School of Medicine.
Dr. Livingston headed a study that compared the so-called Bariatric Surgery Centers of Excellence with regular hospitals that also performed weight-loss surgeries. According to his findings, the former has just as many complications and deaths as the latter. It leads us to ask the question, What’s in a name? Apparently, not much.
On the surface, they sure sound like the best possible option for bariatric surgery. After all, the very word “excellent” is a superlative — there is nothing better than excellence. But it seems that this fancy moniker doesn’t hold water. At least, not according to Dr. Livingston’s study. The study was published in the April 2009 issue of Archives of Surgery, a highly respected and peer-reviewed medical journal.
The stated objective of this study was to compare the success rates and patient outcomes from bariatric surgery centers with the “Center of Excellence” designation to other hospitals that did not have that designation. In other words, the study was conducted to see if there was truly anything excellent about the designated centers.
Related articles:
We make no judgments for or against these surgical venues. This website is neutral on the subject of weight-loss surgery and merely reports news related to that field.
