Tallal Zeni, MD, is recognized for high-quality care in bariatric surgery

Livonia, MI - St. Mary Mercy Hospital announced today that its Michigan Bariatric Institute (MBI) has been named a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence(r) by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS). The ASMBS Center of Excellence designation recognizes surgical programs with a demonstrated track record of favorable outcomes in bariatric surgery.

'It is an honor for Dr. Zeni and our Michigan Bariatric Institute at St. Mary Mercy Hospital to receive this designation. We believe that being a Bariatric Center of Excellence demonstrates our program is held to the highest standards of comprehensive services, efficiency, efficacy, and patient safety in the industry,' said David Spivey, president and CEO of St. Mary Mercy Hospital, a member of Saint Joseph Mercy Health System and Trinity Health.

According to a report released in 2007 by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the number of bariatric surgeries has grown from 16,000 procedures performed in 1992 to 170,000 performed in 2005. Faced with clinical evidence that the most experienced and best-run bariatric surgery programs have by far the lowest rates of complications, the ASMBS Centers of Excellence program was created to recognize bariatric surgery centers that perform well and to help surgeons and hospitals continue to improve the quality and safety of care provided.

To earn a Center of Excellence designation, Medical Director Tallal Zeni, MD, and the Michigan Bariatric Institute underwent a thorough site inspection during which all aspects of the program's surgical processes were closely examined and data on health outcomes was collected. The Michigan Bariatric Institute and other centers receiving the Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence designation agree to continue to share information on clinical pathways, protocols and outcomes data.

Surgical Review Corporation (SRC), an organization dedicated to pursuing surgical excellence, formulates and establishes the rigorous standards with which Dr. Zeni and the Michigan Bariatric Institute, and other Centers of Excellence must comply, thoroughly inspects and evaluates each candidate for designation, and upon review recommends approval of designation for those physicians and facilities whose practices and outcomes meet the stringent demands set forth by SRC for ASMBS.

Obesity has become a significant national health issue, with the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) reporting that 66 percent of all U.S. adults are overweight or obese. Morbid obesity is closely correlated with a number of serious conditions that severely undermine the health of overweight patients, including heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. Bariatric surgery can help obese patients manage these conditions.

By definition, surgeons with ASMBS Center of Excellence designations practice only top-quality care, ensuring efficacy of the procedure with each patient. The Michigan Bariatric Institute demonstrates this willingness to take the extra step by maintaining a program that requires patients to attend pre-surgical education (four hours), pre-surgical diagnostic testing, and comprehensive post-operative follow-up care with Dr. Zeni and the program dietician.

The Michigan Bariatric Institute at St. Mary Mercy Hospital offers three options for Bariatric weight loss surgery, performed by Tallal Zeni, MD, including laparoscopic gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy and adjustable gastric banding. Dr. Zeni performs Bariatric surgery laparoscopically, which is a minimal surgical approach to treating obesity, resulting in minimal pain, less scarring, shorter hospitalization and recovery time.

Learn more at one of MBI's next free monthly Educational Seminars. Interactive speakers are Tallal Zeni, MD, medical director; and Paula Magid, program director and post-op patient.

· St. Mary Mercy Hospital - Auditorium
Thursdays: October 16 and November 13
6:30 - 8 p.m.

· St. Joseph Mercy Hospital Ann Arbor - Ellen Thompson Women's Center, Classroom 2
Wednesday: November 5
6:30 - 8 p.m.

For more information, call the Michigan Bariatric Institute at 734.655.2692 (Toll free for out-of-area callers: 1.877.Why.Weight), located at 14555 Levan Road, Suite 311, Marian Professional Building, Livonia. St. Mary Mercy is located at 36475 Five Mile Rd, Livonia. For more information or for a physician referral, visit our website at stmarymercy.org.