A landmark bariatric surgery report compiled by the UK national bariatric surgery registry has been published examining the role of weight loss surgery within the United Kingdom.
The Bariatric Surgery Report 2010 included data on outcomes from 8710 operations carried out in the NHS and private sector, 7045 of which happened between 1 April 2008 and 31 March 2010 and the rest before then going back to 2005.
The report claims to show for the first time on a nationwide scale the positive effects of bariatric surgery in treating a range of life threatening diseases, including an 85% reduction in the number of patients with type 2 diabetes two years after surgery.
As well as confirming that on a large scale, bariatric surgery is relatively safe compared to many other major operations, the study confirmed that there are significant financial benefits in terms of overall health costs for patients suffering from morbid obesity.
The cost of bariatric surgery was recouped within three years of surgery, they said, because obesity associated costs were eliminated, with diabetes alone estimated to cost the health service £3000 (€3400; $4900) a year for life for each patient, while the direct costs of treating obesity related illness overall was £5bn a year.
Alberic Fiennes, a bariatric surgeon and chairman of the registry’s data committee, said:
“These data show that not only is UK bariatric surgery safe but it successfully treats a whole range of diseases, including the rapid resolution of diabetes, yet commissioners continue to ignore the facts.”
John Black, president of the Royal College of Surgeons, said,
“It is a false economy to cut funding for this type of surgery. Any short term savings are tiny compared with the real ongoing cost of treating obese patients. We call upon the Department of Health to promote bariatric surgery.”
The Bariatric Surgery Report 2010 is available by clicking here.
BMJ 2011;342:d2353