LI Hospital Receives Nationally Ranked Bariatric Accreditation

BAY SHORE, NY — In the days leading up to his bariatric surgery at South Shore University Hospital, Michael Wilson felt hesitant. At 65 with heart disease, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, he knew that the surgery was a big step toward improving his health.

"You have folks that will say that maybe you shouldn't do it," said Wilson, of Selden. "Maybe you should try to do it the natural way, in reference to diet on your own exercise or whatever the case may be."

But the more he spoke with his cardiologist, his bariatric surgeon Dr. David Pechman, and other doctors on his care team, the more he believed he made the right decision.

"By the time I got to my surgery date, I had so much support from my team," Wilson said. "At that point I was excited because I knew what the end result was going to be."

Today, Wilson is off his blood pressure medication and has lost 53 pounds so far. His cholesterol has lowered, and he has had to shop for new clothes.

"I feel great,” he said. “I have a lot of energy."

He was not alone in his success story at SSUH: SSUH announced Friday that its bariatric surgery center had been accredited by the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program, a joint quality program of the American College of Surgeons and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

According to MBSAQIP, a hospital receives the designation after meeting "essential criteria for staffing, training and facility infrastructure and protocols for care, ensuring its ability to support patients with severe obesity." Dr. Dominick Gadaleta, chair of the department of surgery at SSUH, said that the hospital joins one out of 800 hospitals nationwide and one out of 70 hospitals statewide to have this designation.

As an accredited center, SSUH ensures bariatric surgery patients receive a multidisciplinary program, which improves patient outcomes and long-term success, the facility said.
Pechman said that the accreditation is necessary — surgeries such as bariatric are fairly advanced, complex procedures.

"There is a requirement really to have excellent outcomes and safety metrics," said Pechman. "That's part of why we do everything we do ahead of time, why we have a specific bariatric floor for patients. Everyone that's involved is very attuned to any issues that can arise."

Gadaleta, Pechman, and Dr. Andrew Bates, director of minimal invasive surgery, first launched the process to achieve designation in July 2019.

In addition to reporting cases for review, Gadaleta said that staff both inside and outside of the operating room were educated on MBSAQIP standards, and safety and sensitivity training. They also received a tri-annual review by an independent reviewer representing the American College of Surgeons and the Bariatric Society, to see if they fit "quality standards".

When the pandemic hit, Gadaleta said surgery shut down and it "set the clock back" to meet certain metrics on a monthly basis. But once surgery resumed, SSUH proceeded to carry out its requirements.

This April, South Shore went under an eight-hour review process by MBSAQIP. Eight weeks later, they found out the good news. It was the first time SSUH has received any bariatric accreditation, Gadaleta said, and so this is a huge achievement.

"Every aspect of the hospital (makes) sure the hospital has safe, quality driven care for all patients to size not just patients undergoing weight loss surgery," he said. "The standards are set for every department, other surgical departments, the entire building — so it really is a big deal."

Bariatric surgery refers to surgical procedures, such as gastric bypass, to assist in weight loss by making changes to the digestive system.

According to the CDC, more than 42 percent of U.S. adults are estimated to have obesity.
Pechman said that the surgery is the most effective for adults with body mass index of 35 or 40 because of how serious obesity related issues can be.

"Whatever combination of factors they have, it's very, very difficult — virtually impossible— to get to a healthy weight without surgical procedures,"Pechman said.

Gadaleta also said SSUH often sees patients with multiple issues, and so having an accredited program is an important resource to the community.

"We see the most complex patients, patients with not only just diabetes or sleep apnea, but patients with heart failure or kidney failure," Gadaleta said. "So it was important to have that especially on the South Shore."

Multiple studies have shown bariatric surgery to be a powerful tool to treat obesity and to improve or cure obesity-related diseases. According to a 2016 study from the Cleveland Clinic, patients who had bariatric surgery for type 2 diabetes with mild or moderate obesity sustained blood glucose and weight loss benefits for at least five years.

"That's what we offer these patients,"said Pechman. "Not to just be the healthiest they can be next year, but in 30 years."

Pechman said that because of his health issues, Wilson was a perfect candidate for the surgery.
"It's important to note that the surgeries are very, very safe, even for complex patients," Pechman said. "Patients at high risk do have more to benefit."

Wilson told Patch he is currently on a nutrition and exercise regiment, and has regular check-ups with his nutritionist and cardiologist. Although he is still working to improve his sleep apnea, he is grateful for a brand new chapter in his life.

"I had to make that decision again, I most definitely would," he said.