Summary of A Weighty Decision With Lifesaving Outcomes:
Bariatric surgery reduces overall mortality and mortality from some diseases in people with severe Obesity, a 40-year retrospective study published in Obesity found. However, the study also found that younger post-surgery patients had an increased risk of death by suicide and chronic liver disease, highlighting the need for pre-and post-surgery psychological care. The study supports more aggressive pre-surgical psychological screening and post-surgery follow-up. Bariatric surgery may also stimulate necessary research into biomolecular mechanisms for non-surgical treatment that results in weight loss. Researchers analyzed data from the Utah Population Database (UPDB) for more than 22,000 patients.
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Bariatric Surgery Reduces Mortality in Patients with Severe Obesity
According to a 40-year retrospective study published in Obesity, bariatric surgery significantly reduces all-cause mortality and death from cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer in patients with severe Obesity. The study also found an increased risk of death from chronic liver disease and higher suicide rates among younger post-surgery patients, highlighting the need for comprehensive pre- and post-surgery psychological care.
Reductions in Death Rates for All Causes and Cause-Specific Conditions
The retrospective study with up to 40 years of follow-up showed significant reductions in death rates from all causes and cause-specific conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer in patients who have undergone bariatric surgery compared to non-surgical participants with severe Obesity. The findings of reduced death rates following gastric bypass surgery may promote more aggressive, pre-surgical psychological screening and post-surgery follow-up.
Increased Risk of Death from Chronic Liver Disease and Suicide Among Younger Patients
The study also found evidence suggesting an increased risk of death from chronic liver disease and higher death rates from suicide in younger patients who had bariatric surgery compared to non-surgical participants. This study’s authors observe that the findings of increased suicide rates among younger patients who have had bariatric surgery may promote more aggressive, pre-surgical psychological screening and post-surgery follow-up.
Importance of Providing Resources for Pre-Surgical Psychological Screening and Post-Surgery Follow-Up
The findings may not only increase interest in bariatric surgery treatment for patients with severe Obesity. Still, they may also stimulate necessary research related to the discovery of physiologic and biomolecular mechanisms leading to non-surgical therapy that results in weight loss and improved mortality similar to that achieved by bariatric surgery. “This important study adds to the mounting evidence that bariatric surgery not only improves the quality of life for patients but will also increase their life expectancy. This work will hopefully improve patients’ access to this effective treatment for Obesity,” says Jihad Kudsi, MD, MBA, MSF, DABOM, FASMBS, FACS, Bariatric Surgery Division, Duly Health and Care, Downers Grove, Ill.
Conclusion
This retrospective study demonstrates that bariatric surgery significantly reduces all-cause mortality and death from cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer in patients with severe Obesity. However, the study also found an increased risk of death from chronic liver disease and higher suicide rates among younger post-surgery patients, underlining the need for comprehensive pre- and post-surgery psychological care. The findings of reduced death rates following gastric bypass surgery may promote more aggressive, pre-surgical psychological screening and post-surgery follow-up.
