Predictors of high cost of care after bariatric surgery

Editor's Note

Suboptimal postoperative outcomes are the primary driver of high overall costs of care after bariatric surgical procedures, this study finds.

The study included morbidly obese patients who underwent laparoscopic vertical sleeve gastrectomy (74 patients) or laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (270 patients) at a single institution from 2010 to 2014.

Multivariate analysis found that Medicaid insurance, readmission to the hospital, and postoperative complications were associated with high-cost care.

Improving postoperative outcomes may result in substantial cost savings, the authors say.

Drivers of high cost care after bariatric operation have not been well described. We sought to compare 1-year costs between patients who underwent laparoscopic vertical sleeve gastrectomy and laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and identify predictors of high cost of care.