Gastric bypass surgery costs $20,000-$25,000 for the initial procedure but it has a good record of keeping off the lost weight, thus reducing medical complications from obesity-linked conditions like diabetes, cardiovascular disease and hypertension.
Researchers calculated that obese people with a body mass index of 40-50 showed a quality of life year cost of $1,900 when they had a weight-related disease and $3,800 when they were otherwise healthy. These numbers are significantly below $50,000 a year, which the researchers say is the upper limit for a cost-effective treatment.
However, most health insurers, following NIH guidelines, will only pay for bariatric surgery on patients with a BMI of 40 or higher, which equates to being around 100 pounds overweight for men and 80 pounds overweight for women.
Read the Maturitas report on gastric bypass surgery.
Related Articles on Gastric Bypass Surgery:
Study: Gastric Bypass Can Help Fight Cancer, Diabetes
Mayo Study Links Gastric Bypass Surgery to Increased Fracture Risk
More Women Having Bariatric Surgery to Boost Fertility
