3:45

Monitoring the success of a Provincial Bariatric Program
Presenter: Dr. Mehran Anvari

Mehran Anvari MB BS, PhD, FRCSC, FACS
Chair, Minimally Invasive Surgery and Surgical Innovation
Professor, Department of Surgery, McMaster University

Dr. Mehran Anvari is a tenured professor of surgery at McMaster University, specializing in minimal access techniques, at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton.  Dr. Anvari was one of the first surgeons in Canada to use robotics in surgery, establishing the world’s first telerobotic surgical service.

Dr. Anvari holds several clinical and administrative appointments. He is the past president and founding member of the Minimally Invasive Robotic Association, the scientific director and CEO of the Centre for Surgical Invention and Innovation, and the founding director of the Centre for Minimal Access Surgery. Dr. Anvari is the clinical lead and chair of the Ontario Bariatric Network and the Chair of Minimally Invasive Surgery and Surgical Innovation at McMaster. 

As a researcher, supervisor, mentor and advisor, Dr. Anvari has a continued commitment to teaching, education, publication and innovation. Dr. Anvari is the editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Medical Robotics and Computer Assisted Surgery, and the founding director of the McMaster Institute for Surgical Invention, Innovation and Education. He has authored over 150 publications; holds seven patents; and is the principle investigator of numerous studies related to obesity, gastrointestinal disease, and surgical robotic systems and techniques. He has been honored many times for his innovation and research: chosen as the McMaster Innovator of the Year in 2009, and awarded the ORION Leadership Award in 2010. Dr. Anvari’s work with telerobotics has also been recognized by the federal and provincial government with the “Gold Medal of Distinction” and the “Diamond Award for Innovation in Technology”.

3:57

Is early discharge of patients post laparoscopic roux en Y gastric bypass safe?
Presenter: Dr. Balpreet Brar

Dr. Balpreet Brar
Dr. Balpreet Brar graduated from Queen’s University School of Medicine and completed his surgical residency training at the University of Calgary. 

4:05

Effect of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and ileal transposition surgeries on skeletal
muscle glucose and lipid metabolism in rats
Presenter: Dr. Adel Pezeshki

Dr. Adel Pezeshki
Adel is a post-doctoral fellow at the Unversity of Calagary.

4:12

Conversion of Failed Adjustable Gastric Banding to Duodenal Switch: Matched-Controlled Trial.
Presenter: Dr. Abdullah Almassod

Learning objectives:

1. Introduction about the understanding of global growing prevalence of obesity.
2. Methods of the study.
3. Results: (Early & Late Complications, Excess Weight Loss, resolution of co-morbidities).
4. Literature Review with comparative results to the study.
5. Conclusion.      

Dr. Abdullah Almassod

Abdullah Almassod graduated from King Saud University in Saudi and came to 1211.  He is a Bariatric & Metabolic Surgery Clinical Fellow in Laval University in Quebec City, Department of Surgery.  Research interests include Minimally Invasive Surgery And Bariatrics.

4:24

Sleeve Gastrectomy in the Super-Super Morbidly Obese (BMI >60 kg/m2): A Canadian experience
Presenter: Raad Fayez

Raad Fayez, MD, FRCSC

Dr. Fayez is a graduate from King Abdul Aziz University in Saudi Arabia. He has successfully completed the general surgery residency program at McGill. He is presently concluding a 2 year Minimally Invasive Bariatric Surgery Fellowship at the McGill university health center.

4:35

Economic Impact of bariatric Surgery
Presenter: Dr. Ronald Eliosoff

Dr. Ronald Eliosoff, MD

Dr. Eliosoff graduated from the University of British Columbia medical School in 1973. He did his residency in Internal Medicine at McGill University and practiced Internal Medicine in Montreal where he was an Assistant Professor of Medicine until 1990.  He has had a long-standing interest in the medical treatment of obesity, and is the co-founder of the Bariatric Surgical Program at the Surgical Specialists of Louisiana in 2001.  He currently lives in Ottawa and continues to have an active interest in bariatric surgery.

4:47

Evaluation of the SickKids Team Obesity Management Program (STOMP): BMI Outcomes at 6 and 12 months
Presenter: Dr. Paola Luca

Learning Objectives
At the end of this presentation, participants should be able to Describe the BMI and weight outcomes at 6 and 12 months for adolescents enrolled in the SickKids Team Obesity Management Program (STOMP) and similar treatment programs. Understand the selection process for adolescent bariatric surgery at our centre and the challenges associated with adolescent bariatric surgery.

Dr. Paola Luca (MD, FRCPC)
Paola Luca completed her medical training at the University of Toronto and her residency training in Pediatrics at The Hospital for Sick Children. She is currently completing a fellowship in Pediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism at The Hospital for Sick Children. She is pursuing a Master of Science through the Institute of Medicine at the University of Toronto. Her research project is evaluating clinical outcomes of patients enrolled in the SickKids Team Obesity Management Program (STOMP), an interdisciplinary weight management program at SickKids for adolescents with severe obesity.

5:00

Efficacy and safety of laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding: A 3-year retrospective case series from a private Canadian ambulatory surgery center
Presenter: Mr. Mostafa El-Beheiry

Learning Objectives
At the end of this presentation, participants should be able to appreciate that laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) is a viable alternative for Canadian bariatric patients. Participants will also understand that careful patient selection can maximize weight loss outcomes with LAGB.

Mostafa El-Beheiry

Mostafa El-Beheiry graduated from Master’s program in Physiology at the University of Toronto in 2010. He is currently a 2nd year undergraduate medical student in the graduating class of 2013 at the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine at McMaster University.

5:15

Which Psychological Factors Predict Successful Outcomes after Bariatric Surgery for Patients With Obesity? A Longitudinal Assessment
Presenter: Ms. Kashmala Qasim

Summary Abstract
Background: Morbid obesity affects between 2 to 6 percent of Canadians and is a serious health concern. At present, bariatric surgery is the most effective treatment available for long-term weight management and is known to produce both significant weight loss and improvement in psychosocial functioning. Not all patients undergoing bariatric surgery are successful, however, and it may be that certain psychological characteristics modulate either positive or negative outcomes. Objective: The purpose of our study will to be to investigate if certain psychological factors can be identified as being predictive of patients who will be unsuccessful following bariatric surgery. Methods: We will administer a structured, comprehensive battery of psychological screening tools to between 500 - 750 patients seeking bariatric surgery at St. Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton. Patients will be given the questionnaires prior to surgery and then asked to complete the same questionnaires at yearly intervals post-surgery up to 5 years. We will also obtain information regarding weight-loss achieved, dietary compliance and post-operative complications and link these outcomes to the psychological results. The outcomes of this study will allow us to identify if there are any psychological characteristics of patients that predict successful weight-loss after surgery, and if there are certain patient profiles that confer vulnerability to new or worsening mental illness. Conclusion: The findings from this study will assist the larger scientific community to increase the proportion of patients achieving successful outcomes after bariatric surgery and determine if these outcomes, such as durability of weight loss, are maintained over time.

Learning Objectives
At the end of this presentation, participants should be able to understand the correlation between body mass index, self-esteem, depression and body image in surgery seeking patients.

Kashmala Qasim, M.Sc. candidate, is a postgraduate student enrolled in the McMaster Integrative Neuroscience Discovery & Study (MINDS) graduate program at McMaster University. She is working on creating a comprehensive database that tracks the baseline psychosocial characteristics of patients seeking bariatric surgery at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton. Her research interests include understanding the association between obesity, mental health and bariatric surgery in order to identify appropriate surgical candidates and create treatment programs for those in whom surgery is likely to be unsuccessful.

Olivier Court MD FRCSC
Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery
Director, Bariatric Surgery
Director, Undergraduate Surgical Education
McGill University

Olivier Court obtained his medical degree from McGill University in 1995. He completed surgical training at the University of Manitoba as well as fellowship training in critical care. Thereafter, he pursued further fellowship training in minimally invasive bariatric surgery at INOVA Fairfax Hospital in Northern Virginia. Upon completion of his fellowship, Dr. Court began his practice with Dr. Nicolas Christou at the Royal Victoria Hospital in 2005. He is an Assistant Professor of Surgery and the Director of Undergraduate Surgery at McGill University. Currently, he is the Director of Bariatric Surgery at McGill University Health Center. Dr. Court established the minimally invasive bariatric fellowship at McGill University in 2010, offering training in laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, laparoscopic Roux-Y gastric bypass, laparoscopic duodenal switch procedure as well as revisional surgery. He is the current Chair of the Continuing Professional  Development Committee at the Canadian Association of General Surgeons and on the Board of the Directors at CAGS.

Samaad Malik

Bio coming soon.