title: Demographics and outcomes at American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Centers of Excellence.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Surgery is currently an effective long-term therapy for morbid obesity and its complications. A variety of surgical procedures can now offer durable and safe weight control as well as previously unrealized full remission of costly comorbidities. This is a preliminary investigation of patient characteristics and outcomes at Bariatric Surgery Centers of Excellence) (BSCOE) hospitals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were analyzed from 235 American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) BSCOE hospitals receiving Full Approval status from August 2005 to May 2007. Metrics for the 66,339 bariatric surgeries performed at these hospitals included type, volume and distribution of various bariatric surgical procedures performed at each hospital, patient demographics, payer information, and adverse outcomes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data from these analyses demonstrate significant differences in terms of surgical procedure selection (laparoscopic gastric bypass 61%), patient demographics (females 83%, White 60%, mean age 43 years) and type of payer (private insurance 78%), and adverse outcomes (readmission 5%, re-operation 2%, mortality 0.36%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The collective performance of ASMBS BSCOE hospitals in bariatric outcomes of readmissions, re-operations, and mortality are equivalent to, or more favorable, than currently reported outcomes. However, risk assessment and risk adjustment of the patients and each of the bariatric procedures will be necessary to appropriately evaluate these rates.
authors.affiliation: Surgical Review Corporation, 4800 Falls of Neuse Road, Raleigh, NC 27609, USA. Gary.Pratt@surgicalreview.org
authors.forename: Gary M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Pratt
authors.forename: Chris A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Learn
authors.forename: Gail D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.forename: Bobby L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: Mike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Warthen
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Pories
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D050110:Bariatric Surgery / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002423:Cause of Death / Q000639:trends; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009017:Morbidity / Q000639:trends; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D012955:Societies, Medical; D015996:Survival Rate / Q000639:trends; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult