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Bariatric surgery cost-effective for mildly obese patients

Chang SH. Maturitas. 2011;69:230-238.

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Bariatric surgery is not only a cost-effective option for people who are severely obese, but also for those who are mildly obese, according to researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Their research demonstrated that, during a lifetime, the cost of bariatric surgery is less than the health care costs associated with not having the procedure.

Su-Hsin Chang, PhD, postdoctoral research associate in the division of public health services, and colleagues analyzed data from 170 studies that examined the efficacy of bariatric surgery. Researchers included studies that measured at least one outcome of interest, such as weight loss, quality of life, complications and information on medical costs. Using this information, Chang and colleagues estimated and simulated life expectancies and quality of life for patients undergoing surgery compared with those not undergoing surgery. These data were then used to conduct a cost-effectiveness analysis.

Among those with a BMI of at least 50, the cost per quality-adjusted life year was negative. Similarly, the costs for those with BMI between 40 and 50 were also low: $1,900 per quality-adjusted life year for those with obesity-related disease vs. $3,800 for otherwise healthy individuals. The same was true for those with BMI between 35 and 40: $2,400 for those with obesity-related disease vs. $3,900 for otherwise healthy people.

This study differs from previous cost analyses in that it extracts data from a larger number of studies. According to Chang, although bariatric surgery, in general, is worth the cost, the analysis does not differentiate between types of bariatric surgery.

“We did not intend to compare different types of weight-loss surgery, but to generalize its effects and costs,” Chang said in a press release. “Based on our analysis, bariatric surgery should be an option that is universally available to all obese people.”

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