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Bariatric surgery is the quickest fix for severe obesity, but patients must carefully weigh benefits and risks before undergoing these invasive procedures. Two reports in 2009 should provide some help with those decisions.
In a prospective observational cohort study of perioperative complications (JW Gen Med Jul 30 2009), researchers at 10 high-volume U.S. bariatric surgery centers followed nearly 5000 patients who underwent open Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, or laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding. Thirty-day mortality was significantly higher with open bypass than with the other two procedures (2.1% vs. 0.2% and 0%). Incidence of a composite 30-day endpoint (death, venous thromboembolism, operative rei…