ASMBS State Chapter Spotlight: Virginia Bariatric Society (VBS): the Virginia/West Virginia ASMBS State Chapter

BT Online Editor | April 1, 2021

by Guilherme M. Campos, MD, PhD, FACS, FASMBS

Dr. Campos is the Paul J. Nutter Professor of Surgery; Chairman, Division of Bariatric and Gastrointestinal Surgery; Director, Bariatric Surgery Program; and Co-Director, Advanced GI/MIS, Bariatric and Foregut Fellowship at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia.

Funding: No funding was provided.

Disclosures: The author reports no conflicts of interest relevant to the content of this article.

Bariatric Times. 2021;18(4):17–18.

Board of Directors and Past Presidents:

Gregory L. Schroder, MD, FACS, FASMBS—Director and VBS President, 2008
Matthew L. Brengman, MD, FACS, FASMBS—Director and VBS President, 2008–10
Stephen D. Wohlgemuth, MD, FACS, FASMBS—Director and VBS President, 2010–12
Peter T. Hallowell, MD, FACS, FASMBS—Director and VBS President, 2012–14
Troy M. Glembot, MD, FACS, FASMBS—Director and VBS President, 2014–16
Kinga A.
Powers, MD, FACS, FASMBS—VBS President, 2016–18
Bruce Schirmer, MD, FACS, FASMBS—Director
Guilherme M. Campos, MD, PhD, FACS, FASMBS—Director and VBS President, 2018–21
Gregory Adams, MD, FACS, FASMBS—Director and VBS President-Elect, 2021–23

The Virginia Bariatric Society (VBS) was incorporated in March 2005 and is proud to be one of the first states to support the concept of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS)—then the American Society for Bariatric Surgery (ASBS)—State Chapter. VBS, initially named Virginia Bariatric Consortium, brought bariatric surgeons from the state together to create a local forum in which to communicate with one another on standards for surgical care and innovation for treatments for patients with obesity, and to discuss local experiences and opportunities for advocacy.

The initial efforts to create VBS occurred in the early to mid-2000s and were led by Dr. Gregory L. Schroeder, who became the first official VBS President in 2008. Since then, the chapter has grown to about 50 members and meets annually, with attendance around 100 to 150 participants every year. The VBS meeting combines collegiality and scientific discussions that include a robust health allied session on Friday afternoon, two lively surgical sessions on Saturday and Sunday morning, an Abstract Competition, a “Fellows Session,” and a Saturday Evening Dinner with an Invited Keynote Speaker.

The purpose of the VBS is to advance the art and science of bariatric surgery by continued encouragement of its members to exchange ideas, information, and experience in the field of bariatric surgery, to encourage investigations both in the clinic and laboratory, to establish and promote guidelines for patient selection and care, and to improve perioperative and long-term care of patients, while fostering of educational programs for physicians, health-allied persons, and lay people.

The social aspects of the VBS annual meeting are considered a unique feature of our society and include a group trip on Saturday evening to either a shooting range, brewery, or winery, or free time for those who like to golf or play tennis. However, and importantly, the most well-attended event at VBS occurs after the Keynote Speaker Dinner. That is when the Virginia Bariatric Society turns into the Virginia Bourbon Society. As a tradition, every surgeon brings their preferred bottle of Bourbon that is shared with colleagues and guests during a well-regarded Karaoke Competition. In the 2019 competition, Drs. Matthew Bregman and Dr. Schroeder handily won the Karaoke Competition. A video recording of that and every performance at VBS Karaoke Competition is stored securely in the vault of Library of the Society, and they are considered one of the most valuable assets of the VBS!

We invite you to join our 2021 VBS Fall Meeting, scheduled for September 10 to 12, 2021, at Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg, Virginia.

The most recent VBS Chapter Meetings and Keynote Speakers are listed below:

May 3–5, 2019—Williamsburg, VA
Keynote speaker: Alfons Pomp, MD, FACS, FRCSC
April 27–29, 2018—Richmond, VA
Keynote speaker: Daniel B. Jones, MD, FACS
April 21–23, 2017—Richmond, VA
Keynote speaker: John M. Morton, MD, FACS, FASMBS
April 15–17, 2016—Richmond, VA
Keynote speaker: Allan Wittgrove, MD, FACS, FASMBS
April 24–26, 2015—Richmond, VA
Keynote speaker: Harvey Sugerman, MD, FACS, FASMBS

For information visit us at https://www.virginiabariatricsociety.com/ or email us at [email protected].