Weight Loss Surgery’s Seal of Excellence and What It Means For You

In the world of Bariatric – or Weight Loss – Surgery, it doesn’t get bigger than this! The US-based Surgical Review Corporation (SRC) has just awarded India’s very own Centre for Obesity and Digestive Surgery (CODS) with the prestigious Centre of Excellence (COE) certification. Of the 600 Bariatric centers which are COE certified across the world, only two are certified in Asia – one in Taiwan, and the other in Mumbai.

To be a Centre of Excellence, interested parties need to meet the exacting requirements for certification. It’s not enough to have talented surgeons on board. Facilities both at the hospital as well as the clinic need to be on par with the best in the world. In the case of CODS, the COE certification has been simultaneously awarded to the CODS clinic, the Department of Minimal Access and Bariatric Surgery at Saifee Hospital and two CODS surgeons – Dr Muffazal Lakdawala and Dr Aparna Govil. These three entities together form the Bariatric “Centre” which is COE certified.

So What’s In It For Me?
What makes this certification so hard to get is precisely what makes it advantageous for you. SRC has been formed with the sole intention of raising the standards of quality for Bariatric care world-wide. Walk into any COE across the world, and you will be guaranteed the following :

• State-of-the-art, Customized Equipment

  Whether it’s specialized wheelchairs or beds, examination tables or gowns, patient equipment is comfortable and internationally standardized to meet the needs of the obese. Outstanding Radiology and emergency medicine setups and world class equipment in the operating theatre ensure that surgeons are provided with virtually limitless access to life-saving machines and tools of the highest quality.

• International Processes, Systems and Protocol

  All COE centres world-wide have guidelines for every process – nursing, consent forms, crash carts, medical record maintenance, the immediate onsite availability of critical care specialists in the event of an emergency. Step-by-step protocols have been set in place to address every conceivable situation and the staff has been trained on internationally recognized systems for both care and follow-up. Bariatric patients are high-risk individuals and the implementation of standard operating protocols and clinical guidelines minimize complications and promote successful patient outcomes. 

• Holistic Approach

  If you’re looking at weight loss surgery as an option, you can be assured that it will not just be a surgeon attending to you. All cases are simultaneously looked at by nutritionists, endocrinologists (if needed), surgeons and psychologists. It is a holistic approach to obesity, designed to ensure MAXIMUM AND ENDURING weight loss.

• Mortality Rates

  Research has consistently shown that patient outcomes are significantly better at Centres of Excellence. Significant reduction in both mortality and complication rates are attributed to a variety of factors including high volumes of surgeries performed at these facilities, excellence in infrastructure,  standard operating protocols,  the immediate availability of super specialists, high-tech equipment and highly qualified and experienced staff.

• Experienced Surgeons

  To qualify for certification, surgeons need to have performed a minimum 125 cases of Bariatric Surgery in their lifetime, and 50 in the last year alone. Dr Muffazal Lakdawala himself has performed more than a 1000, and CODS performs an average of 200-250 procedures a year. Experience goes a long way to ensure satisfactory results and the lowering of complication rates, which is why it makes the most sense to select a COE certified centre when you consider weight loss surgery as an option.

•  Ground Breaking Research

  COE certified surgeons contribute to as well as have access to the most comprehensive bariatric surgery clinical database in the world. This data is used to arrive at research based clinical protocols designed to promote the best patient outcomes and minimize the risk of complications.