The Socioeconomic Impact of Morbid Obesity and Factors Affecting Access to Obesity Surgery

Tammy Fouse; Philip Schauer

doi:10.1016/j.suc.2016.03.002

The Socioeconomic Impact of Morbid Obesity and Factors Affecting Access to Obesity Surgery

Surg Clin North Am. 2016 Aug;96(4):669-79. doi: 10.1016/j.suc.2016.03.002.

Authors

Tammy Fouse¹, Philip Schauer²

Affiliations

¹ Digestive Disease Institute, Department of General Surgery, Cleveland Clinic, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH, USA.
² Bariatric and Metabolic Institute, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA. Electronic address: schauep@ccf.org.

PMID: 27473794
DOI: 10.1016/j.suc.2016.03.002

Abstract

Bariatric surgery has been shown in many studies to be the most effective long-term treatment for severe obesity and obesity-related comorbidities. Economic analysis has demonstrated cost-effectiveness as well as cost-savings in select subgroups of patients. Despite the health and economic benefits of bariatric surgery, relatively few eligible patients receive this treatment. This disparity in access to care must be addressed by health policy decision-makers.

Keywords: Access to care; Bariatric and metabolic surgery; Economic impact; Obesity; Prevalence.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Bariatric Surgery* / economics
Comorbidity
Cost-Benefit Analysis
Health Services Accessibility* / economics
Health Status Disparities*
Healthcare Disparities* / economics
Healthcare Disparities* / ethnology
Humans
Obesity, Morbid / economics
Obesity, Morbid / epidemiology
Obesity, Morbid / surgery*
Prevalence
Socioeconomic Factors
United States