Weight Loss Surgery has been proven to save patients costs over the long term

Recent studies have indicated that weight loss surgery, including gastric banding and gastric bypass, can reduce costs associated with obesity and other related conditions over the long term. It’s true that patients that are considered obese are more likely to have other medical conditions that require more healthcare services as well as higher incidents of morbidity and mortality. For obese patients it’s extremely important to assess the effectiveness of the treatments offered for obesity.

The most common weight loss surgeries are the gastric band and gastric bypass. Bariatric procedures is one that uses laparoscopic.

These techniques are used to either reduce stomach size or “band” the stomach of patients with severe obesity. This minimally invasive procedure helps patients who are extremely obese to lose weight and possibly address and mitigate other related conditions such as hypertension, high blood pressure and even cardiovascular disease. The idea is to limit the size of the stomach and by doing this it does not allow the patient to eat as much food. Hence they begin to lose weight.

Bariatric surgery is meant for patients with over 100 pounds excessive weight. The American society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery states that this type of surgery is the last resort for obese patients. The guidelines states that the patient should have at least 2 other obesity related conditions along with a history of attempting to lose weight and failing to be able to lose the weight.

Researchers looked at patient’s data over many years (2005 – 2011) about patients between the ages 18 – 64 who had the bariatric procedure. They compared the cost of the gastric band as opposed to the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass for almost 5,000 patients who had each procedure.
Bariatric surgeries can lead to weight loss that is very dramatic, and because of this weight loss the body can repair itself and reduce or eliminate health problems related to obesity.

The research concluded that after the surgeries the patients became healthier and over the long term reduced their health care costs within the first three years after having the surgery.

However, the patients who had the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery had increased ER visits due to complications in the first two years after the procedure. In year three those same patients have improved their health and were able to lower their yearly medical expenses as compared to the patients who had the gastric band procedure.
Both procedures over the long term reduced the costs and the related conditions associated with obesity. This type of study is very important because it shows that weight loss surgery does save patients healthcare costs.

When compared to the costs of the treatment related to obesity and the reduced costs associated with obesity after the surgery was completed.