Affiliations 

  • 1 Departments of Gastroenterological and Pediatric Surgery, Oita University Faculty of Medicine, 1-1 Idaigaoka, Hasama-machi, Yufu, Oita, 879-5593, Japan. ohta@oita-u.ac.jp
  • 2 Weight Loss and Metabolic Surgery Center, Yotsuya Medical Cube, Tokyo, Japan
  • 3 Department of Surgery, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
  • 4 Department of Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
  • 5 Body Science & Metabolic Disorders International Medical Center, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung City, Taiwan
  • 6 Department of Upper GI Surgery, Austin Hospital, Heidelberg, Australia
  • 7 Institute of Minimal Access Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, Max Super Speciality Hospital, New Delhi, India
  • 8 Department of Surgery, Amiri Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Kuwait City, Kuwait
  • 9 Department of Surgery, Chula Bariatric and Metabolic Institute, Chula Minimally Invasive Surgery Center, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
  • 10 Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Inha University, Incheon, South Korea
  • 11 Department of Surgery, Advanced Laparoscopic and Bariatric Division, King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
  • 12 Metabolic Surgery Clinic, Istanbul, Turkey
  • 13 Department of General Surgery, Laparoscopic Surgery, Khorfakkan Hospital, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
  • 14 Department of Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
  • 15 Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia
  • 16 Department of General Surgery, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
  • 17 Premier Bintaro Hospital, Jakarta, Indonesia
  • 18 Institute of Surgery, St. Luke's Medical Center, Manila, Philippines
  • 19 Oita University, Oita, Japan
Obes Surg, 2019 02;29(2):534-541.
PMID: 30306499 DOI: 10.1007/s11695-018-3539-7

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: The Asia-Pacific Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Society (APMBSS) held its congress in Tokyo at the end of March, 2018, and representatives from Asia-Pacific countries presented the current status of bariatric/metabolic surgery in the "National Reports" session. The data are summarized here to show the current status and problems in the Asia-Pacific region in 2017.

METHODS: A questionnaire including data of 2016 and 2017 and consisting of eight general questions was prepared and sent to representatives in 18 Asia-Pacific countries by e-mail before the congress. After the congress, the data were analyzed and summarized.

RESULTS: Seventeen of 18 countries responded to the survey. The frequency of obesity (BMI ≥ 30) in the 4 Gulf countries was > 30%, much higher than that in the other countries. In total, 1640 surgeons and 869 institutions were engaging in bariatric/metabolic surgery. In many East and Southeast Asian countries, the indication for bariatric surgery was BMI ≥ 35 or ≥ 37, whereas in many Gulf countries and Australia, it was BMI ≥ 40 or ≥ 35 with obesity-related disease. Ten of the 17 countries (58.8%) but only one of the 5 Southeast Asian countries (20.0%) had public health insurance coverage for bariatric surgery. In 2017, 95,125 patients underwent bariatric/metabolic surgery, with sleeve gastrectomy accounting for 68.0%, bypass surgery for 19.5%, and others for 12.5%. Current problems included public insurance coverage, training system, national registry, and lack of awareness and comprehension.

CONCLUSION: This summary showed that bariatric/metabolic surgery is rapidly developing along with various problems in Asia-Pacific countries.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.