Effects of quality improvement in bariatric surgery patients

Editor's Note

This retrospective study of patients undergoing bariatric surgery found that hospitals with the largest reductions in serious postoperative complications had the greatest decrease in Medicare payments.

Researchers ranked 562 hospitals (37,329 patients) into quintiles. The top 20% of hospitals had a decrease in average serious complication rate of 7.3% and an average per-patient savings of $4,861. The bottom 20% had a smaller decrease in complication rate of 0.8% and a smaller average savings of $2,814.

The study show the potential savings associated with quality improvement in high-risk surgical procedures, the researchers say.