Early Mortality Among Medicare Beneficiaries Undergoing Bariatric Surgical Procedures

CONTEXT Case series demonstrate that bariatric surgery can be performed with a low rate of perioperative mortality (0.5%), but the rate among high-risk patients and the community at large is unknown. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the risk of early mortality among Medicare beneficiaries and to determine the relative risk of death among older patients. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. SETTING AND PATIENTS All fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries, 1997-2002. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Thirty-day, 90-day, and 1-year postsurgical all-cause mortality among patients undergoing bariatric procedures. RESULTS A total of 16 155 patients underwent bariatric procedures (mean age, 47.7 years [SD, 11.3 years]; 75.8% women). The rates of 30-day, 90-day, and 1-year mortality were 2.0%, 2.8%, and 4.6%, respectively. Men had higher rates of early death than women (3.7% vs 1.5%, 4.8% vs 2.1%, and 7.5% vs 3.7% at 30 days, 90 days, and 1 year, respectively; P