40% of Weight-Loss Surgery Patients Develop Complications

[Guest guest]

I found this article in HealthDay News:

http://www.healthday.com/view.cfm?id=533971

What a lousy title! Then the article actually goes on to refute the

title. Way to sensationalize and scare us, our friends, relatives and

the general public. Thanks a lot @#$%!

Here's a bit from the article: " We found that the complication rate

in the hospital was 22 percent, but it went up to 40 percent over the

next six months, " said lead author Encinosa, a senior

economist at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, which

sponsored the study. This was an economic study on the costs of the

surgery not on the level of complications. What a twist on the study!

What's more is the article/study considers dumping to be a

complication. Maybe many consider it to be a complication but it's

hardly something to get worked up about. It's certainly

controllable. " The most common complications were dumping syndrome,

which includes vomiting, reflux and diarrhea; complications resulting

from the surgical joining of the intestine and stomach, such as leaks

or strictures; abdominal hernias; infections and pneumonia, the

researchers found. " I'd like to see the percentages/numbers they're

talking about here. I mean if the most common complication is dumping

then what's that work out to? 70, 80, 90 percent? What happens to

the " 40% have complications " if we drop dumping and consider only

hospitalized complications. Why is an economic study on the

insurance/medical costs of surgery going up considering dumping? Does

that really add to the economics of the procedure? I and my insurance

company haven't had to spend any medical dollars on the dumping I've

had have you?

I went to the agency's website and found an article

(http://www.ahrq.gov/research/may06/0506RA20.htm) on the study. It

concludes with the paragraph, " Long-term health benefits may outweigh

the costs of bariatric surgery. One meta-analysis found that diabetes

(for which care cost nearly $11,000 per person with diabetes in 2002)

was resolved in 77 percent of patients who received bariatric

surgery, cholesterol problems were improved in 70 percent, and

hypertension was resolved in 62 percent. " Now there's some

information that didn't make it through to the Healthday News article!

In the HealthDay News article you'll read that it refers to a study

published in " Medical Care " magazine. " In the report, published in

the August issue of Medical Care, the authors looked at 2,522

insurance claims for bariatric surgery -- the general term for

surgery to combat obesity -- done in 2001 and 2002. " I'd like to read

that article except that it appears the cost of that magazine is

substantial: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00006KNBR/103-5630799-

6989404?v=glance & n=599858 Maybe I'll see if I can find it at a local

library.

[Guest guest]

They did that on the news last night........They led with this teaser, then

came back and said the most serious complaint found was diarrhea.......It

was a joke.

Mike T

40% of Weight-Loss Surgery Patients Develop

Complications

>I found this article in HealthDay News:

> http://www.healthday.com/view.cfm?id=533971

>

> What a lousy title! Then the article actually goes on to refute the

> title. Way to sensationalize and scare us, our friends, relatives and

> the general public. Thanks a lot @#$%!

>

> Here's a bit from the article: " We found that the complication rate

> in the hospital was 22 percent, but it went up to 40 percent over the

> next six months, " said lead author Encinosa, a senior

> economist at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, which

> sponsored the study. This was an economic study on the costs of the

> surgery not on the level of complications. What a twist on the study!

>

> What's more is the article/study considers dumping to be a

> complication. Maybe many consider it to be a complication but it's

> hardly something to get worked up about. It's certainly

> controllable. " The most common complications were dumping syndrome,

> which includes vomiting, reflux and diarrhea; complications resulting

> from the surgical joining of the intestine and stomach, such as leaks

> or strictures; abdominal hernias; infections and pneumonia, the

> researchers found. " I'd like to see the percentages/numbers they're

> talking about here. I mean if the most common complication is dumping

> then what's that work out to? 70, 80, 90 percent? What happens to

> the " 40% have complications " if we drop dumping and consider only

> hospitalized complications. Why is an economic study on the

> insurance/medical costs of surgery going up considering dumping? Does

> that really add to the economics of the procedure? I and my insurance

> company haven't had to spend any medical dollars on the dumping I've

> had have you?

>

> I went to the agency's website and found an article

> (http://www.ahrq.gov/research/may06/0506RA20.htm) on the study. It

> concludes with the paragraph, " Long-term health benefits may outweigh

> the costs of bariatric surgery. One meta-analysis found that diabetes

> (for which care cost nearly $11,000 per person with diabetes in 2002)

> was resolved in 77 percent of patients who received bariatric

> surgery, cholesterol problems were improved in 70 percent, and

> hypertension was resolved in 62 percent. " Now there's some

> information that didn't make it through to the Healthday News article!

>

> In the HealthDay News article you'll read that it refers to a study

> published in " Medical Care " magazine. " In the report, published in

> the August issue of Medical Care, the authors looked at 2,522

> insurance claims for bariatric surgery -- the general term for

> surgery to combat obesity -- done in 2001 and 2002. " I'd like to read

> that article except that it appears the cost of that magazine is

> substantial: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00006KNBR/103-5630799-

> 6989404?v=glance & n=599858 Maybe I'll see if I can find it at a local

> library.

>

>

>

>

>

>

> We are a very active support group.

> If the email becomes overwhelming,

> please change your setting to NO EMAIL!

> Please contact Group Creator

> Robyn@...

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I saw a similar report on the Today Show this morning. Talk about a

scare! I sincerely hope my family doesn't see/read about this and

get scared for me... I'm 3.5 months post-op and no problems except

my clothes are falling off hehe. I guess it continues to be a

controversial issue for many people, but in my case (and many

others, I'm sure), it's been a life-saving and liberating

surgery! )

My two cents hehe... have a great day, everyone!

Susie

>

> I found this article in HealthDay News:

> http://www.healthday.com/view.cfm?id=533971

>

> What a lousy title! Then the article actually goes on to refute

the

> title. Way to sensationalize and scare us, our friends, relatives

and

> the general public. Thanks a lot @#$%!

>

> Here's a bit from the article: " We found that the complication

rate

> in the hospital was 22 percent, but it went up to 40 percent over

the

> next six months, " said lead author Encinosa, a senior

> economist at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, which

> sponsored the study. This was an economic study on the costs of

the

> surgery not on the level of complications. What a twist on the

study!

>

> What's more is the article/study considers dumping to be a

> complication. Maybe many consider it to be a complication but it's

> hardly something to get worked up about. It's certainly

> controllable. " The most common complications were dumping

syndrome,

> which includes vomiting, reflux and diarrhea; complications

resulting

> from the surgical joining of the intestine and stomach, such as

leaks

> or strictures; abdominal hernias; infections and pneumonia, the

> researchers found. " I'd like to see the percentages/numbers

they're

> talking about here. I mean if the most common complication is

dumping

> then what's that work out to? 70, 80, 90 percent? What happens to

> the " 40% have complications " if we drop dumping and consider only

> hospitalized complications. Why is an economic study on the

> insurance/medical costs of surgery going up considering dumping?

Does

> that really add to the economics of the procedure? I and my

insurance

> company haven't had to spend any medical dollars on the dumping

I've

> had have you?

>

> I went to the agency's website and found an article

> (http://www.ahrq.gov/research/may06/0506RA20.htm) on the study. It

> concludes with the paragraph, " Long-term health benefits may

outweigh

> the costs of bariatric surgery. One meta-analysis found that

diabetes

> (for which care cost nearly $11,000 per person with diabetes in

2002)

> was resolved in 77 percent of patients who received bariatric

> surgery, cholesterol problems were improved in 70 percent, and

> hypertension was resolved in 62 percent. " Now there's some

> information that didn't make it through to the Healthday News

article!

>

> In the HealthDay News article you'll read that it refers to a

study

> published in " Medical Care " magazine. " In the report, published in

> the August issue of Medical Care, the authors looked at 2,522

> insurance claims for bariatric surgery -- the general term for

> surgery to combat obesity -- done in 2001 and 2002. " I'd like to

read

> that article except that it appears the cost of that magazine is

> substantial: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00006KNBR/103-

5630799-

> 6989404?v=glance & n=599858 Maybe I'll see if I can find it at a

local

> library.

>