It is common knowledge that obesity surgery is on the rise but the latest statistics make chilling reading. Perhaps most surprising though is the fact that the same report, issued by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, shows that the cost of gastric bypass surgery is actually falling.
In 1998 there were a total of 13,386 bariatric surgeries performed and this figure rose to a staggering 121,055 procedures by 2004 – the most recent year for which figures are available. By contrast however the average cost of surgery fell from $10,970 to $10,395 in the same period. These figures are quoted at 2004 levels adjusted for inflation and represent the cost of inpatient care but do not include physician fees.
The vast majority of surgeries were seen between the ages of 55 and 64 (which accounted for about 85% of all surgeries) and was far more common amongst women than men, with women accounting for some 82% of surgeries.
The report also reveals that during this period gastric bypass surgery (in which the stomach is reduced in size and a section of the intestine is bypassed to reduce food absorption) remained the most popular form of surgery and accounted for some 94% of all procedures.
The report covers all forms of bariatric surgery including gastric bypass operations, vertical banded gastroplasty and gastric banding or ‘lap band’ surgery and also takes into account many newly introduced techniques such as laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding and robotic surgery. As however some of the latest weight loss surgical techniques have only recently gained approval from the FDA it is likely that the next set of statistics to be released will show a drop in gastric bypass surgery in favor of such procedures as lap banding.
In 1998 the overall hospital costs for bariatric surgery amounted to $147 million and, by 2004, this figure had risen to $1.3 billion. In 2004 approximately 78% of surgeries were paid for by private insurance, 7% were funded by Medicare and 5% were funded Medicaid. Most surprisingly only 5% of surgeries were uninsured which would seem to finally lay the myth to rest that it is virtually impossible to get your insurance company to meet the cost of gastric bypass surgery.
As obesity continues to grow at an alarming rate and overall costs soar it will be interesting to see just how the cost of gastric bypass surgery will met over the next few years.
