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The American College of Surgeons (ACS) has accredited NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital as a Bariatric Surgery Center Network (BSCN) hospital with the highest possible designation (1A), in recognition of the Hospital's ability to offer patients the best care available. The top-level designation is a first for New York state and one of only seven nationwide.

An estimated 30 percent of U.S. adults 20 years of age and older are obese – more than 60 million people. Obesity increases the risk of many diseases and health conditions, including high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and stroke. As few as 5 percent of people who participate in non-surgical weight-loss programs lose a significant amount of weight and maintain that loss for a long period of time.

Level 1A bariatric surgery centers, the highest of five designated levels, are defined by the ACS as providing complete specialized care for all patients, including those with the most challenging and complex conditions, in order to ensure the best outcomes. Additionally, the centers' highly credentialed bariatric surgeons handle a high volume of cases.

The bariatric surgery program at NewYork-Presbyterian is led by world-renowned surgeons Dr. Marc Bessler and Dr. Michel Gagner. Pioneers in their field, they have helped developed some of the innovative procedures offered at the Hospital.

"This important designation recognizes our Hospital's ability to offer patients the safest and most effective surgical options for treating obesity," says Dr. Herbert Pardes, president and CEO of NewYork-Presbyterian. "Certification from the American College of Surgeons is a testament to the quality of care available at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, home to two of the nation's top academic medical centers – NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center."

"While diet and exercise are important to maintaining an optimal weight, surgery is the only option for many obese individuals. We offer the full range of treatment options, including gastric bypass, adjustable gastric banding, duodenal switch, sleeve gastrectomy and others," says Dr. Fabrizio Michelassi, surgeon-in-chief at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell and the Lewis Atterbury Stimson Professor of Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College.

"Patients can expect privacy and personalized attention, from the time of their initial consultation through lifelong follow-up," says Dr. Eric Rose, surgeon-in-chief at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia and the Morris and Rose Milstein, Johnson & Johnson Professor of Surgery at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. "We pride ourselves on confidentiality and the individuality of each patient, and aim to have all patients feel comfortable and confident prior to surgery."

For more information, patients may call 866-NYP-NEWS.

Bariatric Surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian

The bariatric surgery program at NewYork-Presbyterian offers a well-rounded and multidisciplinary approach, with specialists in nutrition, cardiology, gastroenterology, endocrinology and the full resources of the Hospital available to patients as necessary. All patients are fully briefed on their condition and treatment plan, including surgical options. Patients are offered a support group led by a registered dietician and clinical psychologist. The Hospital participates in clinical research trials – including studies funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) – that investigate the latest treatments and outcomes.

NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell's program is led by Dr. Michel Gagner, chief of laparoscopic and bariatric surgery, director of the Weill Cornell Weight Loss Surgery Program and professor of surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College. Dr. Gagner performed the world's first laparoscopic duodenal switch in 1999 and the first laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy in the U.S. in 2000.

Bariatric surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia is led by Dr. Marc Bessler, director of the Center for Obesity Surgery and director of laparoscopic surgery and assistant professor of surgery at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. Bessler is the inventor of several surgical devices and procedures, including the gastrointestinal staplescope; a gastrointestinal tissue approximating and attaching device; and a device and method for performing laparoscopic vertical-banded gastroplasty.

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital – based in New York City – is the nation's largest not-for-profit, non-sectarian hospital, with 2,224 beds. It provides state-of-the-art inpatient, ambulatory and preventive care in all areas of medicine at five major centers: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center, Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Allen Pavilion and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Westchester Division. One of the largest and most comprehensive health-care institutions in the world, the Hospital is committed to excellence in patient care, research, education and community service. It ranks sixth on U.S.News & World Report's guide to "America's Best Hospitals," has the greatest number of physicians listed in New York magazine's "Best Doctors" issue, and is included among Solucient's top 15 major teaching hospitals. The Hospital has academic affiliations with two of the nation's leading medical colleges: Joan and Sanford I. Weill Medical College of Cornell University and Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.