Bariatric surgery cost-effective for mildly obese patients

[Guest guest]

August 09, 2011

From EndocrineToday.com - " Bariatric surgery cost-effective for mildly obese

patients - Bariatric surgery is not only a cost-effective option for people who

are severely obese, but also for those who are mildly obese, according to

researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Their

research demonstrated that, during a lifetime, the cost of bariatric surgery is

less than the health care costs associated with not having the procedure.

Su-Hsin Chang, PhD, postdoctoral research associate in the division of public

health services, and colleagues analyzed data from 170 studies that examined the

efficacy of bariatric surgery. Researchers included studies that measured at

least one outcome of interest, such as weight loss, quality of life,

complications and information on medical costs. Using this information, Chang

and colleagues estimated and simulated life expectancies and quality of life for

patients undergoing surgery compared with those not undergoing surgery. These

data were then used to conduct a cost-effectiveness analysis.

Among those with a BMI of at least 50, the cost per quality-adjusted life year

was negative. Similarly, the costs for those with BMI between 40 and 50 were

also low: $1,900 per quality-adjusted life year for those with obesity-related

disease vs. $3,800 for otherwise healthy individuals. The same was true for

those with BMI between 35 and 40: $2,400 for those with obesity-related disease

vs. $3,900 for otherwise healthy people.

This study differs from previous cost analyses in that it extracts data from a

larger number of studies. According to Chang, although bariatric surgery, in

general, is worth the cost, the analysis does not differentiate between types of

bariatric surgery. "

" We did not intend to compare different types of weight-loss surgery, but to

generalize its effects and costs, " Chang said in a press release. " Based on our

analysis, bariatric surgery should be an option that is universally available to

all obese people. "

Los Angeles bariatric surgeon Dr. Lee Au says that he's seen a real benefit for

patients, even for those with the lower BMI levels. " I recently read a study

showing that patients who undergo bariatric surgery can recoup the costs within

a few years due to the reduced medical expenses associated with losing weight, "

he says.

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patients.