Clinical Scorecard: Global Insights from the IFSO Survey 2020–2021: Trends in Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery
At a Glance
Category
Detail
Condition
Obesity and related metabolic disorders requiring bariatric surgery
Key Mechanisms
Surgical and endoluminal bariatric and metabolic procedures to induce weight loss and metabolic improvements
Target Population
Patients undergoing bariatric and metabolic surgery worldwide
Care Setting
Surgical centers and integrated health services performing bariatric and metabolic procedures globally
Key Highlights
Sleeve gastrectomy (SG) remains the most commonly performed bariatric procedure worldwide from 2018 to 2021.
The COVID-19 pandemic caused a temporary decrease in bariatric surgeries in 2020, with recovery and increase in 2021.
Telemedicine adoption for patient follow-up increased during the pandemic, with 61.4% of national societies using it in 2020–2021.
Guideline-Based Recommendations
Diagnosis
Data collection on bariatric procedures should be standardized via national registries or surveys to monitor trends and outcomes.
Management
Elective bariatric surgeries were recommended to be postponed during the COVID-19 pandemic to allocate resources to ICU care.
Use of telemedicine for clinic and hospital follow-up visits is recommended to reduce exposure during pandemics.
Monitoring & Follow-up
National protocols for bariatric and metabolic procedures should be adopted to guide patient selection and management.
Collection of mortality data after bariatric and metabolic surgery is important for quality assurance.
Risks
Pandemic-related delays in surgery may impact patient outcomes; careful prioritization is necessary.
Lack of uniform data collection may limit assessment of procedure safety and efficacy.
Patient & Prescribing Data
Patients undergoing primary and revisional bariatric and metabolic surgery worldwide during 2020–2021.
Sleeve gastrectomy is the predominant procedure; adjustable gastric band use has declined significantly; one-anastomosis gastric bypass is increasingly popular.
Clinical Best Practices
Maintain updated national registries or surveys to track bariatric surgery volume and types.
Implement national protocols for procedure selection and perioperative management.
Utilize telemedicine for patient follow-up to enhance access and safety, especially during health crises.
Collect and analyze mortality and complication data to improve surgical outcomes.
Adapt surgical scheduling and resource allocation in response to public health emergencies.
