IFSO Endoscopy Committee Position Statement on the Practice of Bariatric Endoscopy During the COVID-19 Pandemic

COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease 2019) caused by SARS-CoV-2 has become a global pandemic. Obesity is a risk factor for severe disease, and the practice of endoscopy poses special challenges and risks of SARS-CoV-2 transmission to patients and providers given the evolving role of the gastrointestinal tract in viral transmission and aerosol generation during endoscopic procedures. It is therefore necessary to distinguish between urgent interventions that cannot be postponed despite the risks during the pandemic and, in contrast, purely elective interventions that could be deferred in order to minimize transmission risks during a time of infection surge and limited access. Semi-urgent bariatric procedures have an intermediate position. Since the chronological course of the pandemic is still unpredictable, these interventions were defined according to whether or not they should be performed within a nominal 8-week period. In this position statement, the IFSO Endoscopy Committee offers guidance on navigating bariatric endoscopic procedures in patients with obesity during the COVID-19 pandemic, in the hope of mitigating the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission to vulnerable patients and healthcare workers. These recommendations may evolve as the pandemic progresses.