The International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders—IFSO XV WORLD CONGRESS

Long Beach, California, September 3 to 7, 2010

by Harry B. Frydenberg, MD

Dr. Frydenberg is the Immediate Past President, IFSO Director, Epworth Centre for Bariatric Surgery, Melbourne, Australia.

Bariatric Times. 2010;8(3):24

IFSO (The International  Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders) held their 15th World Congress in Long Beach, California, on September 3 to 7, 2010.

IFSO is the umbrella organization of 42 different national bariatric societies with four regional chapters—European, North American (ASMBS), Latin American, and Asian Pacific. IFSO holds an annual Scientific World Congress that includes presentations and exhibits relevant to all aspects of bariatric and metabolic surgery and allied health fields.

Preliminary pre-congress, post-graduate courses were held over two days that included some of the newer and more controversial topics, such as  single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS), bariatric surgery, new  endoluminal techniques, and appliances used for both primary and revisional surgery to improve past failed bariatric procedures. The courses also offered hands-on laboratory facilities for SILS and therapeutic endoscopy.

The plenary sessions commenced on Sunday, September 5, 2010, with symposia on the major bariatric surgical procedures, with invited speakers giving the latest data on techniques, results, complications, and revisions of each procedure. The following are some highlights from selected presentations.

Professor Wei Jei Lee, Taiwan, presented a series with long-term results on the somewhat controversial modification of the gastric bypass, which he called the “mini gastric bypass,” showing good outcomes. Dr. Kelvin Higa, United States, presented on the revisions after gastric bypass.

Professor Martin Fried, Czech Republic, presented on the differences in technique (e.g., sutured fixation or not ) for bands and follow-up adjustment techniques. Dr. Jaime Ponce, United States, presented on the long-term complications and management of laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB).

The session on metabolic surgery included a presentation by Dr. Alex Escalona, Chile, on the results of a new endoscopic technique using a duodeno-jejunal bypass liner (Endobarrier,™ GI Dynamics, Lexington, Massachusetts, United States). He presented the one-year results using this device, which showed 35.9-percent excess body weight loss at nine months and significant improvement in most clinical and metabolic variables (e.g., cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting blood sugar levels, and the metabolic syndrome.)

Professor Rudolph Weiner, Germany, presented his eight-year follow-up results on laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, a bariatric procedure that was originally devised as the first stage of a two-staged biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch, but has lately been performed as a primary procedure.
The results indicated a maximum excess weight loss (EWL) of 59, 45, and 36 percent at two, five, and eight years, respectively. Additionally, 42 percent of patients had a second-stage procedure within a five-year period.

Newer techniques for routine bariatric procedures included an innovative paper by Dr. Keith Kim, United States, titled “Safe Progression to Performance of Robotic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass” and a presentation by Dr. Gintaras, United States, on robotically assisted laparoscopic  biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch: initial experience of 42 cases with minimal complications and  improved ease of operation particularly relating to anastamoses.
Dr. Mark Smith, United States and Australia, and Professor Bruce Wolfe, ASMBS President, presented on the Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery (LABS), a multicenter, prospective study examining the outcomes following bariatric surgery. They reported the study has shown an overall 30-day mortality of 0.3 percent, with leading cause being anastomatic leaks, cardiac events, and pulmonary embolus.

The meeting also offered many other presentations and videos of results, complications, and techniques of bariatric surgery. Dr. Stacy Brethauer, United States, presented the early results of a research study on gastric plication, a technique previously described in publications from Iran and Greece. The technique is the inversion in two layers of the greater curve of the stomach mimicking a sleeve gastrectomy without any cutting, stapling, or removing of any part of the stomach.

Dr. Manoel Galvao Neto, Brazil, presented on laparosopy-assisted transgastric ERCP and papillotomy in gastric bypass patients.

The welcome reception featured a performance by a local singing and dancing evangelical group and two indigenous artists. Participants also enjoyed the gala dinner.

Other highlights from the meeting included the appointment of Dr. Karl Miller, Austria, as president of IFSO.

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We look forward to the next IFSO World Congress being held in Hamburg Germany, August 31 to September 3, 2011.

Category: Past Articles, Symposium Synopsis