Research Activities, January 2011: Outcomes/Effectiveness Research: Serious complications from bariatric surgery are fewer when done by high-volume hospitals and surgeons

* Serious complications from bariatric surgery are fewer when done by high-volume hospitals and surgeons.

The safety of bariatric surgery and uneven quality from hospital to hospital continue to concern patient advocacy groups and payers, despite trends toward declining surgery-related deaths. A new study found that the more bariatric surgeries that a hospital or surgeon perform, the lower the complication rate. Overall, 7.3 percent of bariatric surgery patients experienced perioperative complications, most of which were minor. Approximately 2.5 percent of patients had more serious complications, according to Nancy J.O. Birkmeyer, Ph.D., of the University of Michigan, and colleagues. Serious complications were highest for patients undergoing gastric bypass (3.6 percent), followed by sleeve gastrectomy (2.2 percent), and laparoscopic adjustable band procedures (0.9 percent).

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Research Activities, January 2011: Outcomes/Effectiveness Research: Serious complications from bariatric surgery are fewer when done by high-volume hospitals and surgeons