BACKGROUND: Healthcare use and costs are about 81% higher for morbidly @entity28 individuals compared to @entity28 @entity1 , and 47% higher compared to the non-morbidly @entity28 population. The benefits of bariatric surgery for health are well established, but its mid-term impact on healthcare use and costs remains controversial. METHODS: This study examines the trends in healthcare use and costs in a Brazilian cohort during a 4-year period before and after surgery. Healthcare use and direct costs related to inpatients and outpatients were retrieved from a healthcare insurance company database from which all cohort members were selected. RESULTS: Between 2004 and 2010, 4,006 individuals underwent bariatric surgery. Most @entity1 were female (80%) with a mean age of 36.2 years and a mean body mass index of 42.8 kg/m2. Elevated blood pressure was present in 38% of cases and @entity6 was found in 12.5% of subjects. Hospital admissions increased consistently after surgery, even after excluding hospitalizations for esthetic surgery and pregnancy-related care. The most prevalent conditions in this group were @entity344 . Emergency department visits increased after bariatric procedures, in particular for genitourinary and hematologic problems. Adjusted costs were higher after surgery as assessed during a 4-year follow-up period. CONCLUSION: Results indicate that costs and hospital admissions after bariatric surgery increase following this procedure, even when elective interventions are excluded. Healthcare providers and policy makers need to be aware that a @entity28 following bariatric surgery does not reduce healthcare use and costs.

BEFORE-AND-AFTER STUDY: DOES BARIATRIC SURGERY REDUCE HEALTHCARE UTILIZATION AND RELATED COSTS AMONG OPERATED XXXX ?

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients', 'persons'] @entity6 :: ('MESH:D003920', 'Disease') :: ['diabetes'] @entity344 :: ('MESH:D005767', 'Disease') :: ['gastrointestinal diseases'] @entity28 :: ('MESH:D009765', 'Disease') :: ['obese', 'non-obese', 'decrease in obesity-related diseases']
@entity1 :: (9606,Species) :: ['PATIENTS']
