Top bariatric hospitals, better outcomes

Eighty-eight U.S. hospitals are rated as best performers for bariatric surgery, a weight loss procedure, officials at a healthcare ratings organization said.

HealthGrades evaluated the quality of bariatric surgery in hospitals across 19 states that provide all-payer information. The study analyzed the outcomes of the most common including gastric bypass procedures, less invasive laparoscopic procedures including gastric banding, malabsorbtive procedures and malabsorbtive/restrictive procedures.

Higher-volume programs, those with greater than 375 cases over three years, have a 32 percent lower risk of patient complications than lower volume programs, those with less than 75 cases over three years, HealthGrades said.

California was, on average, the most expensive state for bariatric surgery, with an average charge per procedure of $52,224, the study found. Maryland was the least expensive with an average charge per procedure of $14,577.

Bariatric surgery patients treated at top-rated hospitals have, on average a 67 percent lower chance of experiencing serious complications compared to patients who receive treatment at poorly rated hospitals.

The study results are at www.healthgrades.com.