Medical care
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Bariatric surgery is one of the fastest growing hospital procedures, but with a 40% complication rate in 2001. Between 2001 and 2005 bariatric surgeries grew by 113%. Our objective is to examine how 6-month complications improved between 2001 and 2006, using a nationwide, population-based sample. DATA/DESIGN: We examined insurance claims in 2001-2002 and 2005-2006 for 9582 bariatric surgeries, at 652 hospitals, among a population of 16 million non-elderly people. Outcomes and costs were risk-adjusted using multivariate regression methods with hospital fixed effects. ⋯ Improvements in bariatric outcomes and costs were due to a mix of within-hospital volume increases, a move to a laparoscopic technique, and an increase in banding without bypass.