RALEIGH, NC (June 10, 2009) – Surgical Review Corporation (SRC), an independent, non-profit organization that advances the efficacy, efficiency and safety of bariatric and metabolic surgery, today announced the formation of its Latin American International Bariatric Surgery Review Committee (IBSRC). This regional committee was established in response to the high volume of applications received from Latin American surgeons and facilities for SRC’s International Centers of Excellence for Bariatric Surgery (ICE) program. Members of the IBSRC are responsible for reviewing these applicants, determining whether ICE requirements are met and evaluating modifications to program standards appropriate for a specific country or region.
“The main objective of ICE is to ensure that the safest, highest quality care is delivered consistently to bariatric surgery patients throughout the world,” said Raul Rosenthal, M.D., IBSRC Chairman and a bariatric surgeon at Cleveland Clinic in Weston, Florida. “However, one size does not fit all when it comes to designating centers of excellence for bariatric surgery internationally. For example, board certification varies from country to country. The IBSRC understands this and makes the necessary accommodations to ensure that SRC’s standards have universal applicability.”
Committee members are actively practicing bariatric surgeons selected based on their experience, international reputation as leaders in bariatric and metabolic surgery, and geographic representation. SRC is currently finalizing regional committees for Europe and Asia-Pacific to guide the ICE program in these regions. Joining Dr. Rosenthal are the following members of the Latin American IBSRC:
Argentina
• Oscar Brasesco, M.D. - Founder and Director of Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery at OCMI (Obesidad y Cirugía Mini Invasiva)
• Pablo Omelanczuk, M.D. - Director of Mendoza Obesity and Surgical Center Brazil
• Luiz Vicente Berti, M.D. - Professor of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery at the University of São Paulo
• Ricardo Cohen, M.D. - Co-Director of the Center for the Surgical Treatment of Morbid Obesity and Metabolic Disorders, Hospital Alemão Oswaldo Cruz
• Arthur B. Garrido Jr., M.D. - Associate Professor of Digestive Surgery at the University of São Paulo
• Manoel Galvão Neto, M.D. - Scientific Coordinator of the Gastro Obeso Center
• Almino Cardoso Ramos, M.D. - Director of the Gastro Obeso Center
• Thomas Szego, M.D., Ph.D. - President of the Brazilian Society of Bariatric Surgery
Chile
• William Awad, M.D., FACS - Full Professor of Surgery at the University of Chile
• Camilo Boza, M.D. - Coordinator of the Minimally Invasive Surgery Center at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
Colombia
• Jorge Daes, M.D., FACS - Gastroenterologist and Endoscopic Surgeon at the Clínica Bautista
• Rami Mikler, M.D. - President of the Colombian Association of Bariatric Surgery and Obesity
Guatemala
• Estuardo Behrens, M.D., MACG, FACS - Executive Director of the Latin American Association of Endoscopic Surgery (ALACE)
Mexico
• Rafael Alvarez Cordero, M.D., Ph.D., FACS - Director of the Clinic of Weight Control and Surgical Treatment of Obesity
• Pablo Zorrilla, M.D., FACS - Surgeon at the Monterrey Bariatric Surgery Clinic
Venezuela
• Alberto Salinas, M.D. - President of the Venezuelan Society of Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery
About Surgical Review Corporation
Surgical Review Corporation (SRC) is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the efficacy, efficiency and safety of bariatric and metabolic surgical care worldwide. To achieve this objective, SRC administers two designation programs: the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence (BSCOE) program and the SRC International Centers of Excellence for Bariatric Surgery (ICE) program. The ASMBS BSCOE program is endorsed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and most major health insurers. In the U.S. alone, SRC has designated nearly 650 surgeons as well as more than 350 hospitals and freestanding clinics. The organization also developed the Bariatric Outcomes Longitudinal Database (BOLD) to accelerate development of clinical pathways and research for obese and diabetic patient populations. For more information, visit surgicalreview.org.
