Center of Excellence

In order for bariatric surgery to be performed safely and effectively, it is extremely important to ensure that the institution, where the obese patient will be treated, has the properties meeting the requirement of perfect multidisciplinary care. Then will be the referee for these? Media? Instagram? Facebook? Celebrities who have undergone surgery? Or an auditing mechanism to be determined by the authority having a good command of the subject that will audit all these and will also contain them in itself?

Because of this necessity, the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO) decided to establish a committee intended for creating the ‘Center of Excellence’ (COE), in order to improve the quality of services provided for bariatric patients.

It was aimed to create guidelines that can be implemented in various global fields and can define the reference information of the surgeon (credentials) as well as his/her institutional requirements, for ensuring effective treatment and safety of morbidly obese patients. Implementation of the guidelines is the responsibility of the IFSO Accreditation Council.

Because of the great demand for bariatric surgery in our country, as in all countries of the world, many surgeons without the required training and experience perform bariatric surgery procedures in poorly equipped institutions. This can lead to unpleasant consequences. Therefore, it is of great importance to clearly define the minimum requirements for surgeons and institutions before accepting bariatric patients, in terms of ensuring the safety of obese patients seeking medical assistance.

Especially in super obese patients, bariatric surgery procedures or revision (corrective) surgery performed on patients who regain weight require accumulated surgical experience, fully equipped institutions, intra-organizational consultation services, as well as personnel specialized in the care (including intensive care) of bariatric patients.

Within the framework of the criteria determined by the IFSO, every patient should make sure that the surgeon;

1. performs at least 50 bariatric surgeries per year
2. can perform revision surgery with the open and/or laparoscopic approach
3. pledges to follow up him/her for a long time
4. regularly attends bariatric meetings, subscribes to at least one bariatric journal, and declares his/her experience by making presentations at national or international congresses or publishing articles in peer-reviewed (refereed) journals
5. performs these surgical procedures in appropriate hospitals.

In addition to the features described above, every surgeon should;

1. follow up at least 50 cases, which include revision surgery, per year
2. participate in the training and accreditation of less experienced bariatric surgeons.
3. pledge full and lifelong follow-up of patients, and prove that you have followed up at least 75% of them for a period of at least five years.
4. report the results at international conferences, and publish them in international, peer-reviewed (refereed) journals.

Prof. Dr. Ahmet Turkcapar, together with Acıbadem Fulya Hospital, became entitled to receive the certificate of ‘Center of Exellence’, after being followed up by the IFSO for 2-years. Turkcapar Bariatrics provides service under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Turkcapar, who shares his knowledge with his colleagues as a lecturer at congresses in Turkey, and as an academician in educational activities.

Our medical team Dietitian Goknel Dumanli, who worked as a dietitian at bariatric surgery centers in the United States.