The most common difficulty was “dumping syndrome”, which accounted for
nearly 20 percent of the complications. This is where the patient
vomits, has reflux and diarrhea. Another problem was “anastomosis
complications”. This is complications resulting from the surgical
joining of the intestine and stomach, causing leaks or strictures (12
percent). Other complications include abdominal hernias (7 percent);
infections (6 percent); and pneumonia (4 percent).
The researchers also studied 44 types of conditions that can occur in
patients following major surgery, regardless of the type of operation.
These complications included intestinal obstruction, gastrointestinal
disorders, abdominal pain, chest pain, and nutritional disorders. The
overall death rate for the 180-day postoperative period studied was low,
only 0.2 percent.
Complications also increased the cost of the surgery. The average cost
was $36,542 for obesity surgery patients who experienced a complication
up to 180 days after surgery. This is compared to $25,337 who did not
have a complication. The cost for patients who had to be readmitted
within the 180 day period averaged $65,031. This could be compared to
$27,125 for those who did not have to be hospitalized again.
The researchers got their information from claims filed for hospital
care and outpatient care. This included 5.6 million enrollees under age
65 in employer-sponsored health plans for 45 large employers in 49
states for the years 2001 and 2002. The claims data included information
on 2,522 bariatric procedures.
Marsha Quinn
Writer
Books on Dieting
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