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West Penn Hospital Receives National Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence Designation from the American Society for Bariatric Surgery
West Penn Hospital - May 02, 2006: The Western Pennsylvania Hospital and physicians Daniel Gagné, M.D., and Pavlos Papasavas, M.D., have received "Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence" designation from the American Society for Bariatric Surgery (ASBS).
Dr. Gagné is the director and Dr. Papasavas is the co-director of the West Penn Bariatric Surgery Center at West Penn Hospital.
The ASBS Center of Excellence designation recognizes surgical programs with a demonstrated track record of favorable outcomes in bariatric surgery.
West Penn Hospital and Drs. Gagné and Papasavas were granted the designation after an extensive documentation review of outcomes data and a site visit during which all aspects of the surgical program were closely evaluated.
The review assesses not only the skill of the surgeons involved and the quality of the Hospital in which those operations are performed, but also the Bariatric Surgery Center's ability to help patients cope with the significant emotional and lifestyle changes through a multidisciplinary approach that includes psychological, nutritional and educational support.
"We are pleased to have received this designation from the ASBS," Dr. Gagné said. "The designation confirms the high quality of care that we deliver to our patients, beginning with our pre-operative evaluation and counseling procedures and moving through the operation to the extensive post-operative follow-up process."
According to the American Society for Bariatric Surgery, as many as two out of every three Americans are obese and 23 million Americans are morbidly obese, with a body mass index higher than 40.
Studies have shown that the only effective treatment for morbid obesity and its complications is surgery. Unfortunately, physician-supervised dieting and exercise are often not enough once a person reaches morbid obesity.
Because of the obesity epidemic, more and more people are turning to bariatric surgery. Faced with clinical evidence that the most experienced and best-run bariatric surgery programs have by far the lowest rates of complications, the ASBS Centers of Excellence program was created to recognize bariatric surgery centers that perform well and to help surgeons and hospitals continue to improve the quality and safety of care provided.
"Gastric bypass is a life-saving operation for many patients," said Philip Caushaj, M.D., chairman of the Department of Surgery at West Penn Hospital. "At West Penn, our surgeons focus on bariatric surgery and have performed more than 1,000 bariatric procedures. This expertise helps to reduce the risks that are inherent to such a complex operation. The Center of Excellence designation recognizes the experience and expertise of those involved in caring for our bariatric patients."
The designation is significant in the aftermath of recent decisions by some insurers.
In February, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services ruled that Medicare will only cover bariatric surgery performed at designated Center of Excellence. Previously, HealthAmerica launched a similar Center of Excellence program and West Penn was among the first in the area to receive this designation.
The Western Pennsylvania Hospital is an academic medical center with two separate hospital campuses that serve Pittsburgh and the surrounding five-state area. The Western Pennsylvania Hospital in Pittsburgh is comprised of 512 beds and admits more than 20,400 patients, logs more than 30,000 emergency visits, and performs approximately 14,000 surgical procedures annually. The Western Pennsylvania Hospital - Forbes Regional Campus in Monroeville admits more than 14,000 patients, logs over 39,000 emergency visits, and performs nearly 10,000 surgeries annually. Approximately 1,200 physicians and 3,400 employees on both campuses share the hospitals' commitment to excellence in patient care, medical education and research.
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 the 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 outcome studies and quality assurance.
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