Death should be one of the most accurate means of follow-up available. We are assembling data for a pilot study involving men. Plans are to prepare a grant proposal to obtain funding for a study of the IBSR female population if the male search provides sufficient data for comparisons. The number of patients available from a single surgeon is often too small. The cooperation of IBSR surgeons and their data entry people makes such a study possible.
Statisticians strongly encourage a discussion of the problem before carrying out a study.
There are many ways in which both obesity and treatment of obesity influence risk of death. Some ways have direct and obvious effects, others are indirect and less apparent. 2 Drenick's men had a 12-fold increase in risk of mortality over lean men. The annual death rate for UIHC VBG patients was one fifth that of Drenick's men. Deaths and complications that have occurred are presented and discussed.