Do the 105,000 people who had bariatric surgery in 2007 experience the typical results? How successful is the adoption of a program of exercise, nutritional counseling, controlled eating and psychological support? Do bariatric surgery patients lose about 123 pounds the first year and be lighter by 127 pounds after five years?
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People who have had weight-loss surgeries say they tried an average 24 diets and exercise programs over the years before deciding to have the procedure, according to survey being released today at the annual meeting of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.
The survey of 409 bariatric surgery patients, including those who had gastric bypass or adjustable gastric banding, found most people were an average of 100 or more pounds overweight before surgery and had about five obesity-related conditions such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and sleep apnea…
Gastric bypass, which creates a much smaller stomach and bypasses part of the small intestine, is most frequenty done laparoscopically, a minimally invasive technique using small incisions. It costs an average of $25,000 to $30,000 for those who don’t have complications. Gastric banding, in which a band is used to create a small pouch at the top of the stomach, costs an average of $17,000.
An estimated 205,000 people had bariatric surgery in 2007. Insurance companies vary widely in their coverage. Under certain conditions, Medicare covers the procedures.
After the surgery, patients are advised to exercise, change their eating habits, receive nutritional counseling and psychological support, keep a food diary, go to patient support groups and see their surgeon or doctor regularly.
The survey found that patients who followed these guidelines the most closely lost more than 123 pounds the first year while those who didn’t lost about 92 pounds. After five years, the best patients had dropped more than 127 pounds compared to 100 pounds for the less compliant ones.
How compliant patients are is “the difference between a good result and a great result,” says Philip Schauer, apast president of the bariatric surgery group and director of the Cleveland Clinic Bariatric and Metabolic Institute.
The survey was conducted by Harris Interactive and sponsored by Ethicon Endo-Surgery, a company that makes medical devices used for the surgeries.