Course Overview

Approximately 9 million adults in the U.S. are severely obese. Morbid obesity has become a major public health risk. Every year, millions of people suffer co-morbidities of obesity, such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, sleep apnea, and many more, not to mention the psychological, social, and economical burdens of the disease. Weight loss surgery is the only proven treatment option to achieve long-term weight control, improving quality of life for the morbidly obese and lowering long-term health care costs by reducing the incidence of the co-morbidities.

Target Audience

General Surgeons, Bariatric Surgeons, Bariatric Physicians, Primary Care Physicians, Pediatricians, Plastic Surgeons, Legal Professionals, Nurses, Hospital Administrators, Nutritionists, Dieticians, and other Allied Health Professionals interested in the medical and surgical advancements and management of clinically severe obesity.

Activity Goal

Explore leading-edge clinical and technical innovations related to the advanced management and treatment of severe obesity. This activity is designed to address the following ABMS / IOM competencies: Patient Care and Medical Knowledge.

Learning Objectives

After attending this program, healthcare professionals should be able to:

• Describe criteria for identification of appropriate surgical candidates
• Describe the principles underlying a multidisciplinary approach to bariatric surgery
• Discuss perioperative and postoperative care of obese patients
• Explain diet and lifestyle changes after bariatric surgery
• Describe the essentials of a successful bariatric program
• Identify key risk management strategies
• Discuss advanced issues in the surgical treatment of clinically severe obesity
• Identify the components of metabolic syndrome and its relation to obesity
• Discuss treatment path for severe type II diabetes and the impact of surgical intervention

Learning Objectives for Nursing Track

After attending this program, nurses should be able to:

• Identify the various nursing roles in a bariatric program.
• Identify key equipment and environmental needs of a bariatric program.
• Identify the challenges of the physical assessment with regard to the bariatric patient.
• Identify the nursing role as it relates to the multidisciplinary team.
• Identify the key components of bariatric documentation.