Obesity operations jump in United States
January 12, 2007
WASHINGTON - More than 120,000 obese Americans
had some kind of surgery to help them lose weight
in 2004, with the biggest increase among middle-aged
people, according to a study released on Wednesday.
"Among the reasons for the extremely
dramatic increases is that the mortality outcomes from obesity
surgery have improved greatly," the agency said in a
statement.
The national death rate for patients hospitalized
for bariatric surgery declined 78 percent, from 0.9 percent
in 1998 to 0.2 percent in 2004.
Director Dr. Carolyn Clancy said the report
shows "more Americans are turning to obesity
surgery and that an increasing number of younger people are
undergoing these procedures."
More than 103,000 of the 2004 operations
were on patients aged 18 to 54, the study found, and 349 were
performed on youngsters aged 12 to 17.
"As the rate of obesity continues to
climb, the health care system needs to be prepared for continued
escalation in the rate of this surgery and its potential complications,".
The average hospital cost for an obesity
surgery patient stay, excluding physician fees, was $10,395
in 2004 as compared with $10,970 in 1998, adjusted for inflation,
according to the report, published online at http://www.hcup-us.ahrq.gov/reports/statbriefs/sb23.pdf.
Source from:
http://news.yahoo.com
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