2024 in review: International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO)
The International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO), a federation composed of national associations of bariatric surgeons and integrated health professionals, shares some highlights from 2024.
IFSO Consensus Conference on the Role of Obesity Management Medications (OMMs) in the Context of Metabolic /Baritric Surgery (MBS)
Currently, there is no top-level evidence regarding the efficacy of preoperative OMM treatment for reducing intraoperative risks and complications. While there are some retrospective and prospective studies on the general use of OMMs, there is still scarce evidence for their use as an adjunct therapy to MBS, as well as in suboptimal responders or patients with recurrent weight gain.
For these reasons, the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO) has asked a multidisciplinary group of international authorities in the fields of endocrinology and surgery to develop a set of evidence-based recommendations that will serve as a global reference for the use of OMMs before, concomitant with and after MBS.
At the IFSO Consensus Meeting in Vienna, Austria (30 April - 1 May), an international group of multidisciplinary experts in the fields of endocrinology and surgery, presented and discussed the current evidence with the aim of developing a set of evidenced based recommendations.
The results of this IFSO Consensus Conference will be soon published in a major surgical journal. Stay tuned!
Scientific Evidence for the Updated Guidelines on Indications for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (IFSO/ASMBS)
The 2022 American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) and International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO) updated the indications for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (MBS), replacing the previous guidelines established by the NIH over 30 years ago. The evidence supporting these updated guidelines has been strengthened to assist metabolic and bariatric surgeons, nutritionists, and other members of multidisciplinary teams, as well as patients. This study aims to assess the level of evidence and the strength of recommendations compared to the previously published criteria.
READ THE FULL ARTICLE ON OBESITY SURGERY JOURNAL
World Obesity Day Roundtable
World Obesity Day is a unified day of action that calls for a cohesive, cross-sector response to the obesity crisis and takes place on 4 March. To celebrate this special day, every year, IFSO organizes a ROUNDTABLE together with the Presidents of the leading Associations committed to the fight against obesity worldwide: ASMBS, WGO and World Obesity Federation.
Watch the webinar here:
IFSO 2024
IFSO 2024 World Congress was held in Melbourne, Australia, from 3 - 6 September 2024.
The congress was a great success, with 1,750 participants from 90 countries and almost 400 Integrated Health professionals in attendance.
SCOPE School Melbourne
The course aimed to provide a platform for the dissemination of the latest insights, strategies, and interdisciplinary approaches to effectively address the multifaceted challenges presented by obesity.
IFSO Cookbook
The IFSO Cookbook 2024 is a collection of healthy recipes submitted by IFSO members and reviewed by our Committee. This third edition of the Cookbook was presented at IFSO 2024 in Melbourne, where the authors of the two best recipes competed in the IFSO Bariatric MasterChef contest.
The two finalists were Dina Marquez from Chile with the recipe 'Crab and avocado timbale with lettuce' and Ola Budny from Poland with 'High protein pancakes with apple'.
Both won a free registration to attend IFSO 2025 in Santiago del Chile.
The Cookbook is available online to all IFSO members on: www.ifso.com/cook-book/.
Future Meeting
IFSO 2025 World Congress will be held in Santiago del Chile on 9 - 12 September 2025
Mark your calendar and submit your abstract! Abstract submissions are open and close on 11 March 2025.
IFSO will offer again 20 scholarships to its members to attend the congress. All young surgeons and Integrated Health professionals working in the MBS field can apply!
Don’t miss this great opportunity and apply now on: www.ifso2025.org
IFSO Integrated Health
IFSO Integrated Health Members are dedicated to continually strive for clinical excellence in the care they provide to bariatric and metabolic surgical patients. This dedication is evident by the knowledge we seek to provide optimal patient care in our individual countries, as well as the collaboration and knowledge shared among our international colleagues.
The Integrated Health (IH) section of IFSO consists of a diverse group of professionals who provide a continuum of care for metabolic and bariatric patients.
Visit IFSO
Find out more about International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO).
IFSO