Study: Bariatric surgery most cost effective obesity treatment

A new study has found that the $17,000 to $26,000 cost of bariatric surgery is usually offset in two to four years by medical cost savings (Source: “Obesity Surgery Is Called Cost-Effective,” Wall Street Journal, Sept. 8, 2008).

The findings, published in the September issue of the American Journal of Managed Care, may be met with some skepticism because the study was funded by Johnson & Johnson, which manufactures surgical devices and instruments used in bariatric surgery.

Insurance industry officials argue that safety concerns with the procedure have led to reluctance to approve gastric bypass surgery.

The study showed that insurance companies recovered 100 percent of the cost of less invasive laparoscopic surgery within 25 months. The break-even point for gastric bypass surgery was 49 months.