João Ettinger: Associate Professor of Surgical and Clinical Anatomy at UNIME- School of Medicine in Lauro de Freitas, Brazil. He is a General, Digestive and Bariatric surgeon at São Rafael Hospital and at Ana Nery Hospital, Salvador, Brazil; where he also acts as preceptor of surgery. He finished his residency in General Surgery at Ana Nery Hospital in 1995, finished his fellowship in laparoscopic surgery at São Rafael Hospital in 1996. In 1997 he was an observer Surgeon at Lichtenstein Hernia Center-Los Angeles, Hernia Center-Memphis and Shouldice Hospital-Toronto. He specialized in Bariatric Surgery at Beneficência Portuguesa Hospital in São Paulo in 1988. He received his PhD at the Escola Bahiana de Medicina, in Internal Medicine during the year of 2007. In 2013 was an observer of bariatric surgery at Sachsenhausen Hospital in Frankfurt. Member of the Brazilian College of Surgery, Brazilian Society of Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery, Brazilian College of Digestive Surgery, Brazilian Society of Laparoscopic and Robotic Surgery and Brazilian Hernia Society.

Euler Ázaro: General, Digestive and Bariatric surgeon at São Rafael Hospital and at Aliança Hospital in Salvador, Brazil; where he also acts as preceptor of surgery. He finished his residency in General Surgery at Ana Nery Hospital in 1989, finished his fellowship in laparoscopic surgery at Fatebenefratelli Hospital, Milan, Italy in 1996. During the year of 1997 he travelled to North America to learn techniques in coloproctology at the Cleveland Clinic of Fort Lauderdale- Florida, USA. He started bariatric surgery practice in the year of 1999 at São Rafael Hospital, Salvador. He received his PhD at Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, in Surgery. Member of the Brazilian College of Surgery, Brazilian Society of Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery, Brazilian College of Digestive Surgery and Brazilian Society of Laparoscopic and Robotic Surgery.

Rudolf Weiner: MD by the University of Leipzig (Germany, 1976) and PhD by the University of Berlin (Germany, 1977). General surgery and urology training at the Hospital of "St. Georg", Leipzig (Germany, 1977-1984). Qualified Urologic (1981) and General (1984) surgeon. Training in traumatology and vascular surgery at the University Hospital of Leipzig (1979-1984). Associate professor of surgery at Leipzig University (1992-1993). Associate professor of surgery at Johan Wolfgang Goethe University Frankfurt am Main (Germany, 1993-2000). Professor of Surgery at Johan Wolfgang Goethe University Frankfurt am Main (2000). Head of Surgery at the Frankfurt Sachsenhausen Hospital and Center for Minimally invasive Surgery (Germany, 2001).

Kevin Higa: Graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine in 1983. He is board certified in general surgery. After completing his residency training in 1988, heserved as Chief of Vascular Surgery at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Fresno. In 1990, he entered private practice but has continued to devote a large amount of his time to teaching while also serving as Chief of Surgery for Community Medical Centers as well as Saint Agnes Medical Center. Dr. Higa has performed open bariatric surgical procedures since the early 1990s. He and his partner Dr. Boone performed the first laparoscopic gastric bypass in the Central Valley in 1998. The two also pioneered the current technique used by many surgeons throughout the world. He and Professor Paul O'Brien from Australia performed the very first adjustable gastric band in Fresno. Dr. Higa specializes in difficult and challenging cases, including revision bariatric surgery. He serves as associate editor for many peer-reviewed journals and has authored many original articles and book chapters regarding bariatric surgery and complication management. In addition to his title of clinical professorof surgery at the University of California San Francisco - Fresno Medical Education Program, Dr. Higa has been appointed to the National Faculty for Bariatric Surgery by the American College of Surgeons. He was also president of the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) and continues to chair many international conferences devoted to bariatric surgery.

Manoel Passos Galvão Neto: MD by the Bahiana School of Medicine and Public Health (1989, Brazil) followed by residency in Digestive Surgery at July 9th Hospital (São Paulo, Brazil). Invited professor of surgical technique at Bahiana School (1993-1998) and coordinator of experimental surgery research group and assistant professor (1998-2000). Board certified specialist by the Brazilian College of Digestive Surgery (CBCD, 1992), Brazilian Federation of Gastroenterology (FBG, 1995) and Brazilian Society of Digestive Endoscopy (SOBED, 2011). Affiliated professor of surgery at ABC University inSanto Andre (Brazil) and appointed as faculty for the FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Department of Surgery (Miami, USA). Dr. Galvão has extensive experience in foregut surgery and interventional endoscopy and international practice with surgical and endoscopic privileges granted in 8 hospitals in São Paulo, Chile, Colombia and Spain.