Weight-Loss Surgery Center Gains National Recognition

The American Society for Bariatric Surgery has designated The University of Texas Medical School at Houston Bariatric Center as a Center of Excellence.

The center’s surgeons, Terry K. Scarborough, M.D., and Erik B. Wilson, M.D., assistant professors in the Department of Surgery, offer laparoscopic gastric bypass and lap band weight-loss surgeries at Memorial Hermann Hospital.

To reach Center of Excellence standards, bariatric programs must meet key criteria, including quality measures, outcome monitoring and patient followup. Qualified programs also are required to have specific equipment, supplies and appropriately trained staff.

At the UT Bariatric Center, Scarborough and Wilson incorporate advanced surgical techniques into the comprehensive program to safely help morbidly obese patients achieve long-term weight loss. Morbid obesity refers to patients who are at least 100 pounds above their ideal body weight or have a body mass index value greater than 39.

The center is one of the few bariatric programs nationwide that uses surgical robotics, and preliminary data shows its use is improving patient safety and outcomes. The center’s complication rates are significantly lower than the national average.

Scarborough and Wilson joined the faculty in 2002 and built upon a surgical weight-loss program developed by Frank G. Moody, M.D., professor of surgery. The center emphasizes a comprehensive team approach, and comprises specialists in medicine, surgery, psychiatry, psychology and nutrition.

The program also has monthly informational meetings for prospective patients and support groups for patients who already have had surgery.

In addition to performing surgeries at Memorial Hermann, Scarborough and Wilson, who specialize in minimally invasive procedures, see patients at the UT Physicians West Loop Clinic, 1776 Yorktown, and the UT Health Science Center Professional Building, 6410 Fannin. For an appointment, call (713) 572-8122.

By Meredith Raine, Public Affairs