A new study published in the peer-reviewed journal Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases in June 2011 found the cost of a gastric banding weight-loss surgery procedure, such as Allergan’s LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Banding System, was offset by reductions in obesity-related medical costs within 2.25 years for surgery eligible patients with diabetes, and within four years of the procedure for all surgery eligible patients.
TORONTO, July 11 – The study evaluated healthcare claims data from 7,310 patients who had undergone adjustable gastric banding compared to claims from a matched control group of 7,306 surgery eligible obese individuals who did not have weight-loss surgery, for the purpose of quantifying the potential savings of gastric banding. The study found that while post-surgery medical costs for the gastric banding group declined slightly, medical costs for the control group continued to rise, thus resulting in significant savings for the banding sample. These findings underscore the critical effect gastric banding has on containing healthcare costs among the target population.
“Although the gastric banding procedure is associated with upfront costs, our analysis shows that those costs are recovered in a relatively short period of time, particularly for obese patients with diabetes,” said study lead author Eric A. Finkelstein, Ph.D., of Duke University and Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School in Singapore. “Although the potential for cost-savings should not drive coverage decisions, some insurance providers are hesitant to cover the costs of bariatric procedures for fear they will break the bank. These results may allay some of those concerns,” Finkelstein said.
A new Statistics Canada survey found that between 2007 and 2009, 24.1 per cent of adults in Canada were obese. Due to increased medical expenditures, absenteeism, and presenteeism (reduced on the job productivity due to health reasons), obesity costs Canadian businesses billions per year. Given its known correlation to life-threatening co-morbid conditions, such as heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea and even premature death, obesity is a disease that requires medical treatment.
Dr. Arya Sharma, professor of medicine and chair for cardiovascular obesity research and management at the University of Alberta, said Canada is eating its way into a public health crisis.”We’re not where the Americans are yet, but the numbers are still very alarming,” he said. “When you consider the medical costs of obesity, of treating related cases of diabetes, heart disease, hip and knee replacements, it’s clear that we have a serious problem.”
Sharma said obesity has to be treated as a “chronic disease” by the public-health system despite the cost of radical interventions, such as surgery. “For many, surgery may be the only alternative,” he said. “Can we afford it? What we can’t afford is to do nothing. In severe obesity cases where surgery is appropriate, we find that the health system starts saving money on the patient two years after surgery because we’ve brought other health risks under control.”
Tom Saridis, CEO & Founder of the Canadian Institute of Bariatric Options – CIBO Clinic in Toronto asserts, “The resolution of obesity related health conditions is one of the many benefits of LAP-BAND® surgery. Many patients reduce or eliminate the need for medications as they lose weight.”Doctors are starting to realize the many benefits of sending patients for bariatric surgery intervention in a specialized clinic setting where all aspects of care are addressed. “At CIBO Clinic, we make sure that patients receive customized medical, psychological, nutritional and physical assistance to help them use the LAP-BAND® effectively to lose weight. Every patient is different and meeting their needs is important as they work to reach their weight loss goals. Our support doesn’t end after surgery, that’s only the beginning”.
This study supports earlier research about the improvement or resolution of co-morbid conditions. Losing weight can result in: 93% resolution/improvement in asthma, 79% resolution/improvement of hypertension, 90% resolution/improvement in type 2 diabetes, 93% resolution/improvement of obstructive sleep apnea, 90% resolution/improvement of GERD (reflux), Dixon et al. Obes Surg. 1999; Dixon et al. Diabetes Care. 2002.; Dixon et al. Arch Intern Med. 2001.; Dixon et al. Obes Surg. 1999.
Jennifer Walsh, staff psychotherapist at CIBO Clinic in Toronto, also notes that depression and workplace absenteeism plays a large factor in the life of an obese person. “It’s not uncommon for patients to move from hopelessness to hopefulness as they receive the support they need. As they lose weight they realize the path ahead can offer opportunities they had long forgotten and begin to participate more fully in their work and social lives.”
“This study is consistent with the vast findings from the published literature that support gastric banding is an effective and safe weight-loss surgery procedure that can produce sustained weight loss, ultimately resulting in reduction of obesity-related co-morbid conditions and medical costs,” said Frederick Beddingfield, M.D., Allergan’s Vice President of Clinical Research and Development. “Research of this kind is integral in our efforts as a company to ensure appropriate access to and affordability for the LAP-BAND® System procedure for patients across the country.”
About CIBO Clinic
The Canadian Institute of Bariatric Options – CIBO Clinic is a total care obesity management facility providing medically advanced solutions for bariatric patients. CIBO Clinic is committed to helping patients achieve life-long weight management. By helping patients achieve lasting weight loss, their fear of health and mobility problems can be reduced, often eliminated. CIBO Clinic is the first and only clinic to provide customized patient programs in four distinct areas of care: medical, nutritional, psychological and physical. Conveniently located in central Toronto, Ontario, CIBO Clinic has state-of-the-art bariatric care medical suites, experienced and respected bariatric surgeons, comprehensive support program services with an on-site team of professionals, a fitness mobility and rehabilitation room, and encouraging and caring staff that provide support for patients throughout Canada.
About the LAP-BAND® System
The LAP-BAND® System was originally approved by Health Canada and the FDA in 2001 for use in severely obese adults, individuals with a BMI of 35 with at least one severe co-morbid condition or a BMI of 40. In February 2011, the LAP-BAND® System became the first and only FDA-approved device for bariatric surgery for use in obese patients with a BMI of 30-35 with at least one obesity-related co-morbid conditions. The LAP-BAND® System has been approved internationally since 1993, and over the past 18 years, more than 650,000 procedures have been performed, leading to more than two million patient years of exposure for the device. As such, the LAP-BAND® System has an 18-year safety and effectiveness record.
Jody Paul
Director, Marketing
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ciboclinic.com
