The Relationship Between Hospital Volume and Outcome in Bariatric Surgery at Academic Medical Centers

Bariatric surgery performed at hospitals with more than 100 cases annually is associated with a shorter length of stay, lower morbidity and mortality, and decreased costs, which may be related in part to formalization of the structures and processes of care.

Abstract

Bariatric surgery performed at hospitals with more than 100 cases annually is associated with a shorter length of stay, lower morbidity and mortality, and decreased costs. This volume-outcome relationship is even more pronounced for a subset of patients older than 55 years, for whom in-hospital mortality was 3-fold higher at low-volume compared with high-volume hospitals. High-volume hospitals also have a lower rate of overall postoperative and medical care complications, which may be related in part to formalization of the structures and processes of care.