Update on SASES and Bariatric Surgery

Dear Members

 

The SASES Exco has been reviewing the position of bariatric and metabolic surgery in South Africa with the view to supporting this very necessary surgery.

From the outset the SASES Exco has undertaken to drive bariatric and metabolic surgery in the public sector and is excited to note the growth of metabolic surgery in the University of Stellenbosch; more recently New Somerset Hospital in Cape Town, the Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Pretoria and Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University in Pretoria.

 

On the private sector front to date the only route to financing through medical aids has been to have fully accredited surgeons doing the procedure. This not only entails a fully accredited surgeon but more importantly the whole centre and support staff. One understands full well why the medical aids will only deal with accredited surgeons as it is an operation which can have potentially large financial consequences if not done properly.

 

Aquilo with Proventi are now in a position to offer a second accreditation model to the South African private surgeon. To date the only accreditation system has been through SASSO under the guidance of Prof Tessa van der Merwe and her team but with Aquilo and Proventi, who bring to the party a huge international experience in bariatric surgery, the South African surgeon will now have choices as to whom he or she approaches for accreditation.

 

As a Society we have evaluated the international accreditation offered by Proventi and confirm that, in terms of quality and standing, it is on par with the local SASSO accreditation. We are excited that the surgeon now has more choice. We believe that this will open up the field wider for more surgeons to be accredited, be it either through Aquilo/Proventi or SASSO, to the benefit of patients in the private sector.

 

Kind regards

Dick Brombacher
President
SASES Exco