Endoscopy Unit Considerations in the Care of Patients with Obesity

There is a statistical trend toward increasing obesity in the general population with a concomitant increase in bariatric surgical programs. In patients with obesity, gastrointestinal endoscopy has a role in the preoperative evaluation and postoperative management of those undergoing bariatric surgery. Endoscopy also is critical to the diagnosis and management of chronic gastrointestinal diseases (e.g., GERD and Barrett’s esophagus) and emerging endoscopic interventions for weight loss commonly referred to as endobariatric procedures. As such, endoscopy units need to address the special design, equipment, and staffing needs of patients with obesity in both their short- and long-range planning. This chapter details endoscopy unit considerations pertaining to the patient with obesity and may apply to any time point in their medical care. For reference, in this chapter, the term “obese” is used to refer to patients with a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30 kg/m2, while the term “bariatric” refers to patients with obesity who have had or are to have weight loss surgery as well as inanimate objects that are specially designed for patients with obesity.