Characteristics of bariatric surgery in an integrated VA health care system: Follow-up and outcomes

Background. Since the 1991 NIH consensus conference, obesity surgery has been increasingly accepted as a form of therapy for morbid obesity. Approximately 40% of Veteran patients are obese and would potentially benefit from the operations. Methods. Records were reviewed for all obesity operations performed at the Veterans Administration Greater Los Angeles Health Care System between January 1997 and April 2002. Morbidity, mortality, weight loss, and extent of follow-up were the outcomes measures assessed. Results. Forty-six [11 Female (24%), 35 Male (76%)] patients underwent Roux-Y gastric bypass during the 63-month period we reviewed. There was one death from pulmonary hypertension unexpectedly encountered in the operating room. There was a single major complication: an anastomotic leak successfully treated with intravenous antibiotics. The Computerized Patient Record System contained extensive weight loss information, with dozens of weight measurements for these patients before and after surgery. Weight loss was sustained in all but 2 patients during the follow-up period. The only patients lost to follow-up were those referred from medical centers outside the boundaries of our integrated health care system. Conclusion. (1) The VA population has the opposite male/female ratio of populations reported in most weight loss studies. Because the health risks attributable to obesity are greater in males, the VA represents an important population to study that may benefit significantly from weight loss surgery. (2) Extensive clinical information available in the computerized medical record combined with frequent accession of health care resources by our patients resulted in a database rich in follow-up data for a population where long-term outcomes are traditionally difficult to obtain. (3) There was very low surgical morbidity and mortality in a high-risk population. This contrasts with the results of most volume-outcome studies and occurred in a low-volume hospital by a high-volume surgical and medical team. (4) Distinct patterns of weight loss were observed. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science (USA).