Bariatric Surgery in Canada 2015

1. In 2012–2013, about 6,000 bariatric surgeries were performed in Canadian hospitals. This represents an almost four-fold increase over six years, due largely to increased capacity for bariatric surgery in Ontario.
2. The typical bariatric surgery patient is a woman in her 40s who has obesity and other conditions such as diabetes, hypertension or sleep disorders. These characteristics have remained relatively consistent since 2006–2007.
3. Overall, 5% of bariatric surgery patients experienced complications during their hospitalization for the surgery, and 6% were readmitted to hospital within 30 days of discharge. This study shows that complication and readmission rates have declined over time and are comparable to rates reported in other countries. As well, the readmission rate is similar to that for surgical patients overall in Canada (6.5%).
4. Short-term increases in use of hospital care often follow bariatric surgery. Some patients have a noticeable change in their pattern of health care utilization after bariatric surgery. In some cases, this represents readmissions or follow-up care directly related to their surgery. In others, it may represent deferred procedures, such as joint replacements or hernia repairs, which could not be provided to patients at their starting weights. While this study examined only pre- and post-surgery hospital care, other studies have found that the surgery can reduce health care use and costs in other areas, such as prescribed medication.

The full report is available here

@DrSharma
Edmonton, AB