In many of my posts, I often discuss that the most powerful tool that patients can have in their fight against obesity is education. It’s true. Clinical studies have proven that when patients are educated about the range of factors that can accompany obesity, they are more likely to make healthier choices that help them steer clear of it. Well, all that up-to-date education must come from somewhere. Whether sound and current advice is coming from a nurse, dietician or a surgeon, these professionals must be up-to-speed on the most current research and information involving obesity.

For bariatric surgeons and other involved professionals, the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery’s (ASMBS) Annual Meeting is one of the events where we learn about some of the most current clinical trends and recent research being conducted in the fight against obesity. I look forward to this meeting as a way to bolster current knowledge for my practice, but also because its primary goal is to help us bariatric professionals continue to improve our capabilities and achievements in the field of bariatric surgery. In turn, this results in improved outcomes for our patients.

You see, a quality surgical practice is only as good as the surgeons and professionals who work under its roof. This doesn’t happen by chance and certainly not by luck. When working for patients who need help in ways that affect their ability to live normal lives, a solid understanding of the fundamentals that comprise their problems is important. In order to be of the best service to our patients, this means we surgeons have a responsibility to commit ourselves to life-long learning.

This year’s ASMBS conference will take place June 17-22 in San Diego, California. Because our practice isn’t located too far from the meeting, we’re excited to bring along more staff members and join some of the professionals who work at the hospitals where we perform our procedures. I encourage you to visit the ASMBS website to learn more about the Annual Meeting. Here are some highlights of the educational objectives for this year’s meeting:
Upon completion of the conference, physicians and support staff should be able to:

Define, discuss and solve specific challenges in the treatment of patients who suffer from obesity and obesity-related metabolic diseases and conditions

Describe the development and use of new techniques to achieve weight loss by surgery in obese patients

Identify the specific needs of bariatric patients and assist in targeting their care in a coordinated, multi-disciplinary team effort

My staff and I look forward to bringing back from this meeting the latest information and treatment advice aimed at helping our patients become the healthy people they deserve to be. I am confident that together, our collective education will do just that.