Weight Loss Surgeries
Bad news for everyone who is thinking of using surgery to lose weight. According to an article in USATODAY 40% of the people who undergo weight loss surgery end up with complications. They list hernia, abdominal cramping and pneumonia as complications. Not exactly a nice outcome of a rather intensive surgery. Not only that, but the cost of weight loss surgery is very high as well - easily reaching over 20,000 USD. By the looks of it we will have to wait for more advancements in the medical world.
Insurance companies vary widely in their coverage of gastric bypass or gastric banding, in which a band is used to create a small pouch at the top of the stomach. Under certain conditions, Medicare covers both surgeries.
“This is a complex surgery, and for the year after the surgery there will be potential complications that could be costly,” says lead author William Encinosa, a senior economist with the Agency for health care Research and Quality.
People who have procedures such as gastric bypass lose and keep off an average of 44 to 66 pounds for up to 10 years, research shows.
Diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea and high cholesterol are often eliminated or improve. Most diabetic patients get rid of the disease, which can cost $4,000 a year to treat, Encinosa says.
“The cost of these complications from the surgeries is high, but the cost of the diseases related to obesity is also high,” agency director Carolyn Clancy says.
CLICK HERE FOR THE USATODAY ARTICLE