A recent 40-year retrospective study published in the journal Obesity highlights the significant benefits and risks associated with bariatric surgery for patients with severe obesity. The research indicates that bariatric surgery leads to a 16% reduction in all-cause mortality and significant decreases in deaths related to cardiovascular disease (29%), cancer (43%), and diabetes (72%) compared to non-surgical peers. Notably, surgery also raises the risk of death from chronic liver disease (83% higher) and suicide, particularly in younger patients aged 18 to 34 (hazard ratio 2.4 times higher).
The comprehensive study utilized data from the Utah Population Database, tracking nearly 22,000 matched participants who underwent various bariatric procedures from 1982 to 2018. The findings underscore the necessity of enhanced pre- and post-surgery psychological care, especially for younger patients, to mitigate these heightened risks. Experts emphasize that while bariatric surgery remarkably improves patients’ quality of life and life expectancy, accessibility remains limited to only 1% of eligible patients. The authors advocate for increased focus on research to discover effective non-surgical weight loss treatments and better psychological support for patients considering surgery.
