2009 Diet Of The Year

Patients Denied Weight Loss Surgery Face Slew of Health Problems Ivanhoe

27.06.10

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- People who are denied bariatric surgery because their insurance companies won't cover it develop serious obesity-related problems within three years, according to a new study.

Researchers from Gundersen Lutheran Health System in La Crosse, Wisconsin, compared the medical records of 587 patients who had a type of gastric bypass surgery to 189 patients who were medically eligible for the surgery but were denied by their insurance providers.

After three years, the average body mass index (BMI) in the surgical group had dropped from 48 to 30.5. Less than 1 percent of the surgical patients developed new obesity-related conditions. On the other hand, BMIs in the surgery-denied group remained unchanged. More than 40 percent of those who were denied surgery developed hypertension, 34 percent developed obstructive sleep apnea, and nearly 20 percent developed gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

"It is well-known that bariatric surgery treats obesity-related disease," Shanu N. Kothari, M.D., senior author of the study and a bariatric surgeon at the Gunderson Lutheran Health System, was quoted as saying. "Our study now shows that it can prevent new diseases from occurring. Health insurers should take this data into consideration when making decisions about whether or not to cover bariatric surgery."

Source:

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