Interventional procedures significantly improve quality of life for obes...( New Orleans LA - As the prevalence of ...),Health

New Orleans, LA - As the prevalence of obesity in the United States continues to rise, so does the need for safe, effective services and surgical procedures to treat sufferers. Interventional obesity-related surgeries are extremely beneficial with regard to incidence of related conditions and health care costs, according to studies presented today at Digestive Disease Week in New Orleans. Digestive Disease Week (DDW) is the largest international gathering of physicians, researchers and academics in the fields of gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy and gastrointestinal surgery.

Scientists have identified that obesity can contribute to a marked increase in length of hospital stays and, as a result, cost of hospital visits for elective surgical procedures not directly related to their obesity. Another study has found that in some cases, obesity-related surgeries can be completed as outpatient procedures, reducing the associated costs. In addition, research shows that services for bariatric patients may be significantly inadequate in the U.S.

"Currently, a major focus in medicine is on preventive measures to work against the prevalence of obesity, but in the interim, it is important to have facilities and therapies available to save lives and treat the host of conditions that result from excess body weight," said Barbara Bass, M.D., of the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

Obesity Increases Cost and Length of Stay Among Patients Undergoing Elective Surgical Procedures (Abstract 107662*)
In addition to costs incurred through its association with more than 40 different medical disorders, obesity increases length of stay and thus costs of hospital visits for common elective surgical procedures, according to researchers from the Massachusetts General Hospital Weight Center.

Obesity [measured by elevated body mass index (BMI)] impacted length of stay and cost of care for a number of procedures, including abdo
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16-May-2004

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