More Americans resorting to stomach-shrinking surgery

Apr 11 2004

Americans are increasingly resorting to stomach-shrinking surgery so much so that health experts and insurance companies are becoming alarmed about the safety issues and cost of such operations.

The operations are producing dramatic benefits for very obese people but some hospitals and surgeons offering the lucrative procedures without adequate training, experience and support, experts suggest.

It has also been suggested that the operations are being performed on people who might be able to lose weight by more traditional methods.

There has also been reports of severe complications and deaths in the USA.

The American Society for Bariatric Surgery, which represents surgeons who perform the procedures, has established an independent nonprofit corporation that in June will begin identifying "centers of excellence" deemed most qualified to do the complicated operations.

The rising concerns about stomach surgery illustrate the uncertainties that can occur with the emergence and proliferation of new surgical procedures, which often do not undergo the same level of testing, scrutiny and government oversight as new drugs or medical devices.

Millions of Americans already meet the criteria for the operation, which costs about $25,000, and millions more are expected to join those ranks as obesity rates rise.

Federal guidelines suggest that the procedure is performed only on people who are at least 100 pounds overweight, and primarily on those who are also suffering severe health problems because of their weight.