According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 1 in 5 U.S. children and adolescents have obesity, putting them at increased risk for diseases traditionally seen only in adults, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, trouble breathing, difficulty sleeping, and degenerative joint disorders.
For eligible adolescents, bariatric surgery can be a life-changing treatment but requires specialized care. RWJBarnabas Health offers that care via multidisciplinary weight-management teams, including seasoned surgeons.
Recognized for exceptional quality
Recently, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) and The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital achieved an elite certification from the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program—Comprehensive Center with Adolescent.
This quality initiative is a partnership between the ACS and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. It accredits programs that have demonstrated multi-disciplinary, high-quality, patient-centered care, and are committed to providing and supporting quality improvement and patient safety efforts for metabolic and bariatric surgery patients.
“Achieving this certification reflects this team’s skill, compassion and dedication to providing exceptional care for the whole adult and pediatric patient throughout their individual bariatric surgery journeys,” said Fernando (Ferd) Ferrer, MD, FACS, FAAP, Chief Pediatric Officer and Chief Pediatric Physician for RWJBarnabas Health. “It affirms our program’s commitment to quality and patient safety, and the strength of our multidisciplinary approach to providing this specialty care.”
The Bariatric Surgery Center at RWJUH offers a comprehensive medical and surgical program for both adults and adolescents dedicated to making a lifestyle change. RWJUH’s comprehensive bariatric surgery program not only includes surgical options but provides metabolic medicine and addresses individuals’ weight loss goals with medical and nutritional therapy.
The bariatric center at RWJUH offers:
- An experienced bariatric surgeon with over 600 sleeve gastrectomies with an outstanding safety record.
- A well-equipped state of the art children’s hospital including all essential pediatric specialties.
- State-of-the-art operating rooms including robotic capabilities
- A designation as a Center of Excellence as part of our Bariatric Program from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid.