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01-09-2017 | Letter to the Editor
IFSO Position Statement on New Technologies for Treatment of Obesity
The International Federation for Surgery of Obesity (IFSO) and Its New Technologies Committee. Endorsed by the Ethical Committee of IFSO, Approved by the IFSO Executive Council on May, 3, 2017
Published in: Obesity Surgery | Issue 9/2017
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1.
Following upon the steps of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery position statement on emerging endosurgical interventions for treatment of obesity (2009), IFSO has provided a framework for examining novel technologies and procedures in the field of bariatric surgery.
2.
Rapid changes in technology require the physician to be flexible, yet we must always maintain a balance between the necessities of innovation and a comprehensive evaluation of the safety and merit of such endeavors. Ideally, the new technology should represent a less invasive approach compared to the currently accepted methods, be clinically effective, and most importantly provide equally good results with decreased risk of complications.
3.
While traditional metabolic and bariatric surgery is an accepted option for a broad range of patients (see IFSO statement on class I obesity), endoscopic bariatric techniques may fill a crucial void for the patients deemed not eligible or simply not interested in the traditional surgical interventions.
4.
Traditionally, individual medical and surgical societies would release their own consensus statements. The modern approach to this dilemma is that the multitude of societies should refer to the available body of work and evidence-based literature that has been published by similarly oriented societies. By issuing a joint consensus statement, it will be possible to establish algorithms that are based on solid fundamentals for the development of new technologies.
5.
Some of the newer less invasive technologies have not demonstrated the ability to achieve long-standing effective weight loss and comorbidity resolution goals and could subsequently result in increased use of revisional surgical interventions in order to ameliorate the results of the originally performed technology.
6.
Bariatric and metabolic surgery has been available for more than five decades and yet it still remains in evolution. It is difficult to fully imagine and foresee what future techniques and devices are going to be available to the bariatric and endoscopic surgeon. While the treatment modalities continue to advance, certain basic principles such as respect for evidence, ethical commitment, use of accepted methodology for data analysis, and inclusion of patients in proper protocols remain a fundamental requirement. IFSO is engaged in implementing the vision for developing new technologies according to these standards.