Quality Matters - EMMC's Surgical Weight Loss Program Data

EMMC’s Surgical Weight Loss Program has been accredited by the Unified Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Initiatives Program (MBSAQIP) of the American College of Surgeons and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Accredited surgical weight loss programs meet very high program standards, have established track records on patient safety, and consistently deliver quality care. In 2005, EMMC's Surgical Weight Loss Program was the first bariatric program in Maine to receive accreditation.

EMMC offers gastric bypass, adjustable gastric banding, and sleeve gastrectomy bariatric surgeries. All weight loss surgeries have been done laparoscopically (minimally invasive) since 2009. In 2008, EMMC was the first hospital in Maine to offer the sleeve gastrectomy.     

Since EMMC began offering the laparoscopic approach to weight loss surgery in 2003, the average length of stay for these procedures has continued to decrease. Since 2009, all bariatric surgeries offered at EMMC have been offered laparoscopically. The average length of stay for bypass is 2.2 days, sleeve gastrectomy is 2.1 days, and, currently, seven out of ten band patients go home the same day as their surgery. Currently over 70% of our weight loss procedures are offered with robotic assistance.

Between 2010 and 2012, operative mortality at 30 days after  hospital discharge for all  weight loss surgery procedures was 0%. The standard for safe bariatric programs is to have less than 0.5% 30-day operative mortality. 

Thirty-day readmission rates remain well below the national benchmarking standard of 5% for band, bypass, and sleeve gastrectomy.