Bariatric surgeon Donald Waldrep, M.D., of Southern California Advanced LaparoEndoscopic Surgery, is one of six surgeons in the U.S. selected to participate in an international conference in Paris, France, in August.

The forum was sponsored by Ethicon Endo Surgery Inc.

The event was a gathering of global weightloss surgery experts who discussed the role of prevention and surgical treatments for obesity.

The conference coordinated with the start of the annual meeting of the International Society for the Surgery of Obesity.

The forum reviewed advanced techniques and trends noted by leaders in bariatric surgery.Waldrep’s clinic provides laparoscopic surgeries, including gastric bypass and gastric banding procedures, to patients and oversees a team that attends to each patient’s well-being and long-term recovery.

According to Waldrep, weight-loss procedures should be viewed as tools that allow the patient to promote a sense of wellness.

He recommends that those looking to undergo weight-loss surgery should be wellinformed and should carefully consider the risks and benefits of the surgery and to know what to expect after the surgery