The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) Center of Excellence criteria are as follows:

  • Hospitals must perform at least 125 bariatric surgeries per year. Surgicenters must perform at least 100 bariatric surgeries per year.
  • Bariatric surgeons at these Centers of Excellence must have performed at least 125 bariatric surgeries during their career and must continue to perform 50 surgeries per year.
  • Centers of Excellence must be staffed by a multidisciplinary bariatric team including surgeons, nurses and other consultants.
  • All centers must pass a rigorous onsite inspection.
  • All centers must report their long-term outcomes to the Bariatric Outcomes Longitudinal Database (BOLD). The information gathered in this database is used to analyze the safety and benefits of bariatric surgery.
  • All centers must be re-evaluated with an onsite inspection every three years.