Gastric Bypass Surgeries in New Hampshire, 1996-2007

INTRODUCTION: Obesity is a national epidemic. Gastric bypass surgery may be the only option that provides significant long-term weight loss for people who are morbidly obese (body mass index [BMI] ≥40 kg/m(2)) or for people who have a BMI of 35 or higher and have an obesity-related comorbidity. The objective of this study was to assess trends in gastric bypass surgery in New Hampshire. METHODS: Data from 1996 to 2007 from the New Hampshire Inpatient Hospital Discharge data set were analyzed. Records for patients with a gastric bypass surgery code were identified, and data on patients and hospitalizations were collected. A joinpoint regression model was used to analyze trends in surgery rates. Differences between patients and payer types were analyzed by using the Cochran–Mantel–Haenszel χ(2) test. RESULTS: The annual rate of gastric bypass surgery increased significantly from 3.3 to 22.4 per 100,000 adults between 1996 and 2007. The in-hospital death rate decreased significantly from 11% in 1996 to 1% in 2007. A greater proportion of women (78.1% during the study period) than men had this surgery. The average charge of a surgery decreased significantly from $44,484 in 1996 to $43,907 in 2007; by 2007, total annual charges were $13.9 million. Since 1996, private or "other" payers have been charged for nearly 80% of the total discharges. CONCLUSION: The number of gastric bypass surgeries has increased in New Hampshire, and so have their cost. These increases may reflect a shortage in effective primary care and preventive measures to address the obesity epidemic.