New list of ASMBS endorsed procedures

[DianaCox]

Basically, anything goes
ASMBS Endorsed Procedures and Devices for Metabolic and Bariatric Treatment

Surgical Procedures, Devices and Approaches	Primary Case
Adjustable Gastric Banding	No IRB
Sleeve Gastrectomy	No IRB
Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass	No IRB
BPD/Duodenal Switch	No IRB
AspireAssist®	No IRB
Intragastric balloons	No IRB
Vagal nerve blocking therapy (vBloc®)	No IRB
Vertical Banded Gastroplasty	No IRB
Bariatric Reoperative Procedures	N/A
Open procedures as deemed appropriate	No IRB
Single Anastomosis Duodenal Switch Procedures (SADI, SADI-S, SIPS, Loop DS)	IRB or IRB Exemption Required
Single Anastomosis Gastric Bypass (Mini-Loop Gastric Bypass)	IRB or IRB Exemption Required
Endoluminal/Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty	IRB or IRB Exemption Required
Gastric plication

ASMBS Endorsed Procedures and FDA Approved Devices

ASMBS Endorsed Procedures and Devices for Metabolic and Bariatric Treatment effective March 2019…

asmbs.org

 

[southernlady]

What does IRB mean?

And just because ASMBS says okay does not mean the insurance companies will, esp Medicare. After all, Medicare didn't even accept the VSG until July 27th 2012.

 

[DianaCox]

Something like Investigational Review Board.

 

[Larra]

Institutional Review Board...whatever that is.

 

[Munchkin]

They are making money on the look alike procedures. They will become standard even if they don't work.

 

[JackieOnLine]

idiots!

 

[Sheanie]

I guess insurance wants to pay for diabetes, obesity related illnesses and injuries. Oh, and lots of drugs.

 

[hilary1617]

So, am I understanding correctly they've basically said SADI-SIPS-LOOPS and MGP are NOT standard of care and require additional approval in order to be performed at MBSAQIP-Accredited centers? If so, I agree, I think that appropriately reflects the need for additional due diligence for experimental procedures.

 

[Sheanie]

Diana, can you dumb this down for me? Does this mean DS is NOT covered without appeal and approval? And SADI and the others ARE covered?

 

[DianaCox]

“MBSAQIP-Accredited centers must receive approval from an Institutional Review Board (IRB) in order to perform primary procedures that are not endorsed by the ASMBS. The IRB approval must be for performing the procedures, and not solely for data collection of outcomes from these procedures. In the event that an IRB determines a study protocol unnecessary for a primary procedure that is not endorsed by the ASMBS, a letter of exemption from the IRB is required to demonstrate compliance with MBSAQIP standards. Procedures and devices used for re-operative purposes do not require IRB approval or IRB exemption. However, the ASMBS recommends conforming to the endorsed procedure list when selecting procedures and devices for re-operative purposes whenever possible:”

I think this means that the ones that say no IRB, the ASMBS-accredited centers (which are ASMBS-invented rules that the DS surgeons scoffed at as driven by insurance companies to cut off access to their smaller practices) don’t need approval to perform the standard procedures (including VBG! and Crapband! And Aspire and gastric balloon - UGH!), but the last 4 do require approval.