The History of Our Chapter

 The Virginia Bariatric Society (VBS) was incorporated in March 2005 and is proud to be one of the first states to support the concept of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS)—then the American Society for Bariatric Surgery (ASBS)—State Chapter. VBS, initially named Virginia Bariatric Consortium, brought bariatric surgeons from the state together to create a local forum in which to communicate with one another on standards for surgical care and innovation for treatments for patients with obesity, and to discuss local experiences and opportunities for advocacy.

The initial efforts to create VBS occurred in the early to mid-2000s and were led by Dr. Gregory L. Schroeder, who became the first official VBS President in 2008. Since then, the chapter has grown to about 80 members and meets annually, with attendance around 100 to 150 participants every year. The VBS meeting combines collegiality and scientific discussions that include a robust allied health session on Friday, a lively surgical session on Saturday, an Abstract Competition, a “Fellows Session,” and a Saturday Evening Dinner with an Invited Keynote Speaker.

The purpose of the VBS is to advance the art and science of bariatric surgery by continued encouragement of its members to exchange ideas, information, and experience in the field of bariatric surgery, to encourage investigations both in the clinic and laboratory, to establish and promote guidelines for patient selection and care, and to improve perioperative and long-term care of patients, while fostering of educational programs for physicians, health-allied persons, and lay people.