Bariatric surgery outcomes in accredited vs nonaccredited centers

Editor's Note

Patients who have bariatric surgery at nonaccredited bariatric surgical centers are 1.4 times likelier to have serious complications and more than twice as likely to die after the procedure compared to those who have surgery in accredited centers, this study finds.

In this review of more than 1.5 million patients, researchers also found lower costs at accredited centers.

Despite the published evidence, however, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services no longer requires Medicare patients to have bariatric procedures at an accredited bariatric center, the authors note.