Effectiveness, safety of bariatric procedures in Medicare patients

Editor's Note

Limited evidence exists about the comparative effectiveness and safety of bariatric surgical procedures in Medicare patients, this review study finds.

Of 16 studies analyzed, researchers found that bariatric surgery overall, and in particular Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), sleeve gastrectomy (SG), and adjustable gastric banding (AGB) appeared to be associated with improvements in weight loss outcomes beyond 1 year after surgery. However, the three procedures had similar associations with most non-weight loss outcomes.

Overall, postoperative complications were not statistically significantly different between RYGB and SG, though major and/or serious complications were more common after RYGB.

This systematic review is the first to specifically assess the comparative effectiveness and safety of bariatric surgery in Medicare patients, the researchers note.