The American Society for Bariatric Surgery (ASBS) Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence (BSCOE) program

The American Society for Bariatric Surgery (ASBS) Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence (BSCOE) program was established in 2004 to ensure consistency and safety in bariatric surgery. The program is administered by Surgical Review Corporation, an independent not-for-profit corporation that is governed by industry stakeholders in bariatric surgery.

To receive the designation of an ASBS BSCOE, a Center must participate in a rigorous application process including a thorough site inspection. Both the hospital and surgeon must satisfactorily meet the 10 requirements of the program. Among these requirements are volume criteria that must be met (125 surgeries per year for hospitals and 50 per year for surgeons with a minimum lifetime experience of 125 cases) to prove a successful experience in bariatric surgery. Published data has shown that hospitals and surgeons performing these volumes have the most successful outcomes, with the lowest number of reoperations, complications and mortalities.

Those Centers that satisfactorily complete this arduous process find themselves among the top-tier institutions for bariatric surgery in the country; they have better outcomes, excellent facilities and the most experienced surgeons.

The ASBS BSCOE program has been recognized for its pioneering efforts by such industry leaders as the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services and many other prominent healthcare companies.

An ASBS BSCOE offers the consumer reassurance that both the hospital and surgeon have been rigorously evaluated. Exceptional care is available from BSCOE Centers that dedicate their facilities, equipment and trained staff to the care of those who suffer from the crippling disease of morbid obesity.