Clinical Scorecard: Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Bariatric Surgery Practices: Insights from the GENEVA Study Database
At a Glance
Category
Detail
Condition
Obesity and bariatric surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic
Key Mechanisms
COVID-19 infection increased surgical risks; pandemic disrupted bariatric surgery services and weight management
Target Population
Adults (≥18 years) undergoing bariatric and metabolic surgery
Care Setting
Global bariatric surgical centers including government-funded, private, and combination hospitals
Key Highlights
Bariatric surgery services were largely paused during the initial COVID-19 pandemic phase per international recommendations.
Obesity patients faced increased risk of severe COVID-19 and worsening obesity rates due to lockdowns and disrupted services.
The GENEVA study analyzed hospital-level data from 439 hospitals in 64 countries to assess pandemic impact and recovery strategies.
Guideline-Based Recommendations
Diagnosis
Monitor local COVID-19 case timelines including first city case, hospital admission, and peak hospital admissions to guide service planning.
Management
Suspend all non-emergency bariatric surgeries during initial pandemic phases as recommended by the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorder.
Implement local perioperative COVID-19 safety protocols to protect patients and staff.
Monitoring & Follow-up
Track hospital admission peaks and COVID-19 case trends to inform timing of bariatric surgery service suspension and resumption.
Use hospital volume and funding type data to tailor recovery strategies.
Risks
Recent SARS-CoV-2 infection significantly increases surgical risks in bariatric patients.
Disruption of bariatric services may exacerbate obesity-related health risks.
Patient & Prescribing Data
Adults undergoing elective primary, revisional, or emergency bariatric surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic
Bariatric surgery was largely paused early in the pandemic; recovery varied by hospital type and volume with private centers showing delayed peak admissions.
Clinical Best Practices
Adopt flexible bariatric surgery scheduling based on local COVID-19 epidemiology and hospital capacity.
Maintain robust perioperative COVID-19 safety protocols to minimize infection risk.
Plan for rapid recovery of bariatric services post-pandemic peaks to address worsening obesity trends.
Use data-driven approaches from multicenter audits like GENEVA to inform strategic responses to future pandemics.
by Rishi Singhal, Tom Wiggins, Sjaak Pouwels, Yashasvi Rajeev, Brijesh Madhok, Wasim Hanif, Abd A. Tahrani, Yitka Graham, Christian Ludwig, Kamal Mahawar
