Scottsdale Healthcare surgeon elects as new president for ASMBS

Scottsdale Healthcare surgeon Robin Blackstone, MD is the new president-elect of the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS), recognizing her leadership and expertise in the field of weight-loss surgery.

Blackstone, who will serve as president-elect until becoming president at the June 2011 ASMBS annual meeting, is medical director of the Scottsdale Healthcare Bariatric Center.

One of the nation's leading bariatric surgeons, she has helped more than 2,900 patients manage obesity and related medical problems through minimally invasive weight-loss surgery, including adjustable gastric band, gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy.

Patients have traveled from India, Mexico, Canada, New York, Alaska and throughout the South and Southwest to undergo bariatric surgery at Scottsdale Healthcare's Bariatric Center, an ASMBS Center of Excellence since 2005.

Located at Scottsdale Healthcare Shea Medical Center, the Scottsdale Healthcare Bariatric Center offers a dedicated 28-bed hospital unit and specialized surgical equipment that enables complex procedures to be performed with incisions smaller than one-fifth of an inch.

Surgical weight loss patients are cared for by experienced bariatric surgeons, as well as a medical team including dietitians, psychologists, exercise physiologists and certified bariatric nurses. Patients receive follow up care for five years, engage in support groups in person and through online forums, and maintain access to exercise, nutrition and psychology experts.