title: Obesity disease burden and surgical risk.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The rapid national expansion in bariatric surgical procedures has been accompanied by recent reports of significant complication rates. This has resulted in increased public scrutiny of bariatric surgery outcomes, restrictions on patient eligibility criteria by payors, and credentialing requirements for providers. This focus on outcomes has resulted in interest in bariatric risk analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  During an 8-year period, 1210 patients were evaluated for bariatric surgery. Clinical information was recorded prospectively. Co-morbid medical conditions were analyzed according to proven surgical risk factors: age, body mass index (BMI), and male gender.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of many co-morbid conditions and the total number of co-morbid conditions correlate highly with increasing age, increasing BMI, and male gender.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The established surgical risk factors, age, BMI, and male gender, are markers for a sicker patient population, as evidenced by a greater obesity disease burden.
authors.affiliation: Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, Pennsylvania, USA. pnbenotti@geisinger.edu
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Benotti
authors.forename: G Craig
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Still
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Petrick
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Strodel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D050110:Bariatric Surgery / Q000009:adverse effects; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D018579:Patient Selection; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors