Bariatric surgery training in the United States.
BACKGROUND
To provide evidence of the status of bariatric surgical education in the accredited surgery training programs in the United States.


METHODS
A questionnaire was sent by mail to the 251 accredited surgery residency training programs, including the 48 minimally invasive surgery fellowship programs, in the United States.


RESULTS
There was a 100% response to the questionnaire. Of the 251 surgery residency training programs and 48 minimally invasive surgery fellowship programs, 185 (73.7%) and 43 (89.6%) performed bariatric surgery, respectively. The open Roux-en-Y gastric bypass was the dominant procedure (85.1%), followed by laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (60.9%), in the residency programs; the laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass was the dominant procedure (70.1%) in the minimally invasive fellowship programs.


CONCLUSIONS
Bariatric surgery has been mainstreamed into accredited training programs in the United States.
Buchwald
Henry
H
Department of Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, 55455, USA. buchw001@umn.edu
Williams
Stanley E
SE
D050110:Bariatric Surgery / Q000193:education* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015904:Biliopancreatic Diversion / Q000193:education / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015390:Gastric Bypass / Q000193:education / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015391:Gastroplasty / Q000193:education / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States