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As the obesity epidemic worsens, more patients will likely turn to bariatric surgery as an option for weight loss. Obese patients have a high incidence of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, which progresses to cirrhosis in approximately 20% to 40% of patients. Although we know that cirrhosis is associated with overall higher risk for perioperative mortality, data on the safety of bariatric surgery in this population are sparse.
To compare mortality outcomes from bariatric surgery in patients with and without cirrhosis, investigators conducted a large, population-based study based on 10 years of data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample. Using ICD-9M procedural codes, they identified patients who underwent bariatric surgery for obesity and then cl…