Bariatric surgery is a weight loss surgery performed on people who are dangerously obese.
A team led by David Arterburn, M.D., M.P.H., of Group Health Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, U.S., examined 856 morbidly obese patients who had bariatric surgeries between 2000 to 2006 at 12 of the Veteran Affairs bariatric centers in the city.
The average age of these patients was 54 years. Nearly 70 percent of them were men with a BMI of 48.7 which is considered to be alarmingly high.
Super obese patients at high risk of dying
The findings of the study suggested that nearly 54 patients (7 percent) out of the total participants died during the study period. Of these, nearly 1.3 percent patients died a month after the surgery, 2.1 percent died after three months and 3.4 percent died after one year.
The researchers also noted that those with increased chronic disease burden, including cardiovascular failures, complicated diabetes, etc., had a high risk of dying due to bariatric surgeries.
"These findings also suggest that the risks of bariatric surgery in patients with significant comorbidities, such as congestive heart failure, complicated diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease, should be carefully weighed against potential benefits in older male patients and those with superobesity," they said.
Abdominal fat complicates the surgery
Researchers also noted that bariatric procedures turn out to be more complicated for such patients because of their enormous abdominal fat. Such patients are more likely to suffer from health complications like wound clotting and more obesity-related illnesses even after the surgery.
Therefore, the doctors should well discuss the potential risks and benefits of this type of surgery with the patients beforehand, they recommend.
Previous studies reveal that bariatric surgery could certainly help alarmingly obese patients to improve their health and lifestyle. However, given the findings of the current study, the health experts are also cautiously weighing the long-term health benefits of this surgery.
"Whether the volume of the VA bariatric surgery program should be expanded in the coming years largely depends on the impact such operations have on long-term health outcomes,” researchers said.
The findings of the study are published in the Archives of Surgery, Journal of Medical Association (JAMA).
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