Weight-Loss Surgery Fails to Cut Costs as Hospitalizations Rise

People who undergo weight-loss surgery don’t reduce their costs as they take off pounds, as hospital stays for complications from the procedure exceed savings from obesity-related illnesses, a study found.

Researchers tracked insurance claims of 29,820 patients for as many as six years after bariatric surgery, comparing their costs with a group of people with obesity-related conditions who didn’t have the procedures. While pharmacy expenses and office visits were lower for surgical patients, repeat procedures were higher, according to the study in the journal JAMA-Surgery.