Four of every 10 patients who undergo weight-loss surgery develop complications within six months, the federal government said Sunday.
Obesity surgery is helping thousands of Americans lose weight and reduce the risk of diabetes and other life-threatening diseases, said Dr. Carolyn Clancy, director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. But, she added, “This study shows how important it is for patients to consider the potential complications.”
In the procedure, bariatric surgery, doctors reduce the number of calories that a person can consume and absorb.
Prior studies found that 10 percent to 20 percent of patients had complications while they were in the hospital. In the new study, said William Encinosa, an economist at the health research agency, federal researchers found that 39.6 percent of patients had complications within 180 days of surgery.
The most common complications included vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal hernias, pneumonia and respiratory failure.
Dr. Philip Schauer, president of the American Society for Bariatric Surgery, estimates that 175,000 to 200,000 weight-loss procedures will be performed this year, up from 47,000 in 2001. The number of people receiving the operation “may be less than 1 percent of those who need it,” said Schauer.
The government study was based on insurance claims filed with health plans offered by 45 large employers in 49 states. The data included information on 2,522 weight-loss operations in 2001 and 2002.
Schauer said surgical techniques and the quality of care had improved, so patients were less likely to suffer complications.
