XVII World Congress of International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO)
September 11 to 15, 2012, Hotel Taj Palace, New Delhi, India
by Pradeep Chowbey, MS, MNAMS, FRCS (London),FIMSA, FICS, FACS, FIAGES, FALS
Dr. Chowbey is the Congress President of IFSO 2012, President, IFSO ; President, Asia Pacific Chapter of IFSO; President, Asia Pacific Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Society; Past President, Obesity Surgery Society of India.
FUNDING: No funding was provided.
DISCLOSURES: The author reports no conflicts of interest relevant to the content of this article.
Bariatric Times. 2012;9(10):25
Photo: Dr. Pradeep Chowbey giving a presentation during the 17th World Congress of IFSO.
The XVII World Congress of International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO), organized by Max Institute of Minimal Access, Metabolic, and Bariatric Surgery, Max Super Speciality Hospital, kicked off on September 11, 2012. The Congress was supported by IFSO-Asia Pacific Chapter (IFSO-APC), the Asia Pacific Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Society (APMBSS), and the Obesity and Metabolic Surgery Society of India (OSSI).
IFSO is the umbrella organization of different national bariatric societies. It is a scientific organization, bringing together surgeons and integrated health professionals. The IFSO 2012 World Congress was designed for clinicians, academic surgeons, scientists, paramedics, and integrated health professionals involved in the care and management of patients with obesity who wish to learn the latest trends and parameters established for the preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative management of individuals with morbid obesity.
It was an exceptional event with overwhelming participation comprising 1,500 delegates and faculty from 70 countries and we received a tremendous amount of positive feedback from the attendees. This five-day event for both surgeons and integrated health professionals was particularly relevant for its current and interesting topics, multicultural audience, lively debates, dynamic discussions, and live demonstration of bariatric surgical procedures. During this congress, we placed special emphasis on highlighting characteristics of obesity in the Asian population.
The IFSO 2012 World Congress was officially opened in a ceremony by Dr. Pradeep Chowbey, President of the World Congress 2012 and current IFSO President of IFSO, and Professor Antonio Torres.
The IFSO 2012 World Congress was inaugurated and blessed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Whether it be for his fighting for the cause of humanity, touching lives, or just spreading happiness, His Holiness the Dalai Lama is undeniably a living legend with millions of followers across the globe. An iconic personality of the 20th and 21st century, he continues to live on permanently in many hearts.
The IFSO 2012 World Congress Programme included the many different activities. The first day saw commenced with the IFSO Executive Board and Board of Trustees meeting, where members discussed the development and promotional activities of the organization.
The second day of the Congress, seven post-graduate courses were offered covering the following topics: surgical management of morbid obesity, surgical management of metabolic syndrome,reduced port surgery, revisional bariatric surgery, nutrition in bariatrics, basic medical writing, and anesthesia for bariatric surgery. The Pre-congress courses provided valuable insights into a wide array of topics.
The main scientific sessions, which took place during the the third and fourth day, were designed to provide a comprehensive overview of bariatric and metabolic surgery. There were various plenary sessions, symposiums, consensus sessions, and video sessions allowing participants to focus on key topics including: mechanisms of bariatric surgery, revisional surgery; metabolic and bariatric surgery in Asia, bariatric evaluation and surgical follow up, the “diabesity” epidemic, mishaps, and risk management strategies.
The fifth and final day of the Congress concluded with live surgeries performed by selected pioneering surgeons of the world at Max Super-Speciality Hospital, Saket, New Delhi India, and telecasted at Hotel Taj Palace, New Delhi, India. Live surgeries performed included laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric bypass (RYGB) with regular ports, laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy with regular ports, laparoscopic RYGB with single port, laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy with single port, laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (AGB), revisional surgeries including sleeve gastrectomy to RYGB, laparoscopic AGB to RYGB, revisional surgery for weight regain after RYGB, laparoscopic greater curvature plication, and banded gastric bypass.
Other highlights and memorable events of the Congress included a gala dinner featuring many aspects of traditional Indian culture; a wide array of cuisine from its four corners; experiential activities in a Bazaar setting; music performed by a popular Indian singer complete with a live band.
The IFSO 2012 was accredited by the European Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (EACCME) and was designated for a maximum of 24 hours of European external CME credits. The EACCME is an institution of the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS). It was also accredited by the Delhi Medical Council for 22.45 credit hours.
Overall, it was a great scientific and social extravaganza with very fruitful and memorable memories.
With IFSO 2012 behind us, we look forward to the XVIII World Congress set to take place August 28 to 31, 2013, in Istanbul, Turkey. For more information on IFSO, please visit www.ifso.com.
Category: Past Articles, Symposium Synopsis
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