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Clinical Update (09/2006)

MTI provides an update on bariatric surgery, where a new study which finds that complication rates of patients undergoing obesity surgery are higher than previously thought. Also, MTI reports on a new risk score for dementia.

Although bariatric surgery is helping thousands of people reduce their risk of diabetes and other life-threatening diseases, a new study finds complication rates for patients undergoing obesity surgery is higher than previously thought. The study, sponsored by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, found that four out of every 10 non-elderly patients with private insurance who undergo obesity surgery develop a complication within 6 months of leaving the hospital. The five most common complications were dumping syndrome (nearly 20%), which includes reflux, vomiting, and diarrhea; anastomosis complications (12%), such as leaks or strictures; abdominal hernias (7%); infections (6%); and pneumonia (4%). The study also found that the complication rate increased by 81% following hospital discharge, increasing from 21.9% while patients were still hospitalized to 39.6% by the end of 180 days post-op. Overall, the death rate for the entire 180-day post-operative study period was low, at 0.2%.

Not surprisingly, complications from obesity surgery also increased the overall cost. Medical care spending averaged $36,542 for patients who experienced a complication during their hospital stay and in the 180...

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