2025 China Obesity Conference Special Report: Charting a New Era of Precision and Safety in Bariatric Surgery

The 4th China Obesity Conference (COC 2025), hosted by the China Obesity Alliance, recently concluded in Beijing under the theme “Raising Public Awareness and Standardizing Obesity Treatment.” The event gathered more than 1,500 professionals from over 20 countries and regions, underscoring the global urgency of addressing obesity and metabolic diseases.

As part of its commitment to advancing bariatric surgery worldwide, EziSurg Medical actively fostered international collaboration and invited Dr. Mohammad Ibrahim Al-Hrout, President of the Jordanian Surgeons Association, Director of Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery at Prince Ali Hospital, and Advisor to the Royal Medical Services of Jordan, to deliver a keynote presentation. EziSurg Medical also showcased its latest innovations, attracting significant attention from experts and underscoring the company’s role as a global driver of surgical innovation.

“Three Zeros” Vision – A New Outlook for Bariatric Surgery

At the opening ceremony, Dr. Zhang Zhongtao, Conference Chair and Chief Surgeon at Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, outlined the “Three Zeros” vision for the next decade of bariatric surgery in China: zero preventable deaths, zero severe complications, and zero postoperative loss to follow-up. He highlighted that China currently performs over 40,000 bariatric procedures annually, but complication rates vary significantly across centers, by as much as five- to tenfold. Dr. Zhang emphasized that the main challenges include a lack of standardized surgical protocols and insufficient precision energy devices. To address these challenges, the China Obesity Alliance plans to launch the “Blue Shield Initiative” in 2026, aiming to establish a nationwide surgical quality control and device utilization big data platform, thereby improving surgical safety and standardizing treatment outcomes.

Dr. Mohammad’s Keynote: Technique + Workflow

Dr. Mohammad delivered a keynote lecture titled “Complications of Bariatric Surgery and How to Minimize Them”. Drawing on clinical outcomes from 1,200 laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy cases with zero deaths and zero staple-line leaks, his presentation provided valuable international reference points for Professor Zhang’s “Three Zeros” vision.

During his talk, Dr. Mohammad introduced a dual approach combining advanced surgical techniques with standardized perioperative workflows. His team implemented a six-week preoperative very-low-calorie diet protocol, intraoperative real-time ICG fluorescence leak detection, and a postoperative 10–14 day extended anticoagulation regimen, successfully reducing venous thromboembolism (VTE) incidence to 0.64%, well below the international average of 1–2%. Using the “2 cm His angle protection” principle in combination with a steerable stapler, the team-maintained sleeve leak rates below 0.5%. Dr. Mohammad emphasized that “devices are valuable tools, but human expertise remains at the core” advocating a collaborative model integrating surgical teams, device engineers, and data analysts.

Entering the Era of Precision and Safety 2.0

Conference participants reached a consensus that bariatric surgery is entering a “Precision and Safety 2.0” era. Ricardo Cohen, President of IFSO, noted the global shift from focusing solely on weight loss to ensuring long-term patient safety. ASMBS President-elect Rana Pullatt introduced a U.S. initiative testing closed-loop systems that integrate energy devices, surgical robots, and electronic health records to cut intraoperative injury risks by 40%. Professor Seung-wan Ryu of Seoul National University stressed the need for specialized ultrasonic devices for Asian patients and voiced confidence in the innovation capacity of Chinese companies.

EziSurg’s Innovations and Deepening Partnerships

At the conference, EziSurg Medical’s 60° articulated powered stapler and ultrasonic energy platform garnered significant interest from experts. Attendees praised the devices for their ease of use, reliable staple formation, and comprehensive cartridge options suitable for complex procedures.

Following the conference, Dr. Mohammad visited EziSurg’s Shanghai headquarters to tour the AI-enabled smart manufacturing facilities and discuss clinical applications and R&D priorities in MIS products. During the visit, EziSurg was honored with the “Outstanding Supplier Award” from the Royal Medical Services of Jordan and an “Exemplary Collaboration Certificate” from the Jordanian Surgeons Association, in recognition of the company’s sustained contributions to the development of bariatric surgery in the Middle East.

As China approaches 100,000 annual bariatric procedures and the field advances toward the era of “Precision and Safety 2.0,” the integration of technological innovation with clinical needs is bringing the “zero complication” vision closer to reality. EziSurg Medical will continue to collaborate with bariatric surgeons worldwide to share Chinese solutions and expertise, contributing to the global advancement of bariatric surgery.