Comparing Post-Surgical Care and Costs in Bariatric Surgery Options

Weight loss surgery is an effective means of treatment for people with diabetes who are morbidly obese.…

Two types of bariatric surgery — Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) — are both effective at reducing the amount of care needed and reducing the associated health care costs for patients with type 2 diabetes, in the months immediately following surgery.

However, over the long-term (four years), health care utilization and costs increased significantly for those who underwent RYGB, compared to those who underwent LAGB, for whom utilization and costs continued to decline. The researchers hypothesized that the higher costs and increased care associated with RYGB were due to surgical complications and problems related to the malabsorption of micronutrients and medications that can occur with bypass procedures.